Isn't Love Ironic?
by BlueDragonIsAwesome
Summary: 100 one-shots for KiMa! Some are cute and light, while others may have dark and heavy themes. But no matter what it is all about the Kid and Maka romance!
1. Friends

**(Author's Notes: Hello everyone! This is going to be a 100 One-Shot collection of KiMa. Some will be light and happy, and others will be dark and twisted. I hope you enjoy!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or any of its characters.**

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_Friends_

There was a time when they were just friends. _If _you could call it that.

The occasional compliment would go unnoticed and the close proximity undetected. But a lot can change when a certain cat slips casual comments like, "You two would look great together!" or "Is Kid-kun going out with you?"

Blair was trying to expel Maka's jealousy of whenever she happened to make a move on Soul, and thought it would be good for her to find someone special.

Maka, on the other hand, didn't appreciate the constant embarrassment. Kid was one of the friends she had that could really connect with her on the intellectual level along with respect.

Ever since the cat even _mentioned _the idea, things had been awkward between the pair and it wasn't the same. Brushing fingers accidentally induced blushing when all it_ should_ have been was an apology. Catching each other's gaze was like a mistake. And _even _while out with friends they couldn't help but be overly aware of the other's presence and be subconscious about it.

But Blair persisted in her observations. And each and every time it became more and more personal. She even went so far as to ask Maka if she'd seen Kid _shirtless _while he was in the room. The girl ended up stuttering out an answer and Kid was beyond shy.

He didn't come over much after that. However, much to the girl's dismay, the cat _continued _to harass Maka with her humiliating interrogations and remarks. She finally cracked.

"Blair! I'll do _anything_; just stop asking those stupid questions and talking about Kid that way!"

"Anything?" The cat purred. It was going just how she'd planned it. (If not better!)

"Yes, anything." Maka sighed. She was ready to do whatever Blair wanted her to in order to save her friendship with Kid.

"Hmm, okay~! I want you to go on a date with him!" Blaire smiled mischievously while idly twitching her tail back and forth.

"WHAT?! He doesn't like me like that!" Maka's face blanched as she imagined the scenario. He would _never _agree to go out with a 'tiny-tits bookworm,' as Soul would put it.

"I doubt that. It's easy to get men to like you! Here, this is how it's going to happen…" Blair whispered into Maka's ear and with every word, her face turned deeper and deeper shades of red.

"I-I can't do that! I'd be taking advantage of him!" Maka had jumped away from the cat and pointed accusingly.

"I knew it'd come down to this…" Blaire sighed and pulled her hat over her face with mock sadness. She then transformed into her human-form with a devious smile playing on her lips.

"What're you…" Maka didn't get a chance to finish her inquiry before Blair cut her off.

"PUM-PUM-PUM-PUMPKIN!" She sung her incantation before casting magic on Maka.

"What did you do to me…?" Maka looked over herself in horror. What Blair had done was magic a sexy outfit on her. It was pretty much really skimpy bunny lingerie, with matching ears and tail!

"I am NOT wearing this." Maka blushed. She had _never _in her life worn such…Vulgar attire. And in front of a respectable gentleman like Kid? No way!

"Fine…" Looking downcast, Blair once again used her magic on her friend. This time, using Maka's personality, she gave her an angelic-like outfit. This one was a cute, white dress that stopped above the knees. It was simple, but absolutely adorable.

Blair knew Kid would _die _from this sight. "That's _purr_fect! Now go! Gogogo! Now!" She said 'go' so fast that it sounded like a single word.

"E-Eh, are you sure?" Blair was already pushing her out the door. "Yes, it's great! Ask him out!" Maka nodded, still not believing her. She made her way down the street, and when Blair was sure she wouldn't notice, she turned into a cat. After all, something so _juicy _like Maka going out with a boy couldn't be missed!

Maka knocked on the Gallows Mansion door, feeling extremely nervous. Now that she was this far, she couldn't back down! Maka was the _bravest _meister in all of the DWMA, and she had to live up to that reputation!

But Maka's courage shrank within her when she noticed the door starting to open. Luckily, it _was _Kid. If it was Liz or Patty, she knew she'd never live it down. But if this didn't work out well, her friendship with Kid could be ruined…!

"Hey, Kid. Are you busy right now?" Maka kept her eyes away from his in fear of rejection.

"U-Uh…Maka?" Kid blinked a few times, wondering if this was real. His mouth opened several times as well, attempting to say something. With the sunlight behind her, the beautiful dress, and her unmistakable innocence she really looked like an angel.

A blush crept its way onto his cheeks, and he realized he still hadn't answered her question. "Y-Yes."

"You are busy? Sorry for interrupting," Disappointed, Maka turned around, ready to go back to her apartment and forget about this entire thing.

"No, wait!" Kid grabbed her arm and gulped. She turned her head back to him curiously. "I'm not busy. Did you need something?" The blush was still evident on his features, but Maka was entirely oblivious.

"Yeah…Did you want to…" She suddenly stopped talking. Maka had completely forgotten what she was going to ask him out to! She internally panicked, but no ideas came to her.

Kid couldn't do anything but watch. He was still too tongue-tied to really say anything. Maka finally blurted out, "Didyouwanttogototheparkwithm e?" She squeezed her eyes shut, nervous beyond belief.

He blinked once. Was she asking him out on a date? Another blush. Was he…No…Was he really falling for one of his best friends?

"S-Sure." Kid didn't trust himself to say anything else. His brain was on 'Sleep' mode and he could only utter out single-word answers. Maka figured he was trying to be cool. (She spent too much time around Soul.)

Blair was snickering to herself. She couldn't _believe _the effect Maka was having on the shinigami! And even more astonishing was the fact that she didn't notice! _And_ the cat's Crush-dar was going off; she knew Kid had feelings now.

The pair talked (although Kid's answers were a bit limited and thoughtless, he was getting better) until they made it to the park. Even after they were there, they continued to converse until they were simply sitting under a tree.

Somehow, the discussion had brought itself into awkward territory; Blair. "I'm really sorry about what she was saying. I know how…" Maka blushed while trying to bring the right words together, "_Embarrassing_ it must have been."

"No, it's fine. It's not your fault at all." Kid smiled genuinely at his friend.

"It's been weird between us, you know?" Maka's cheeks turned red. Blair really set something off in her when talking about Kid.

"Friends?" Maka questioned. Once he agreed, they could go back to the way it was before. As friends. But… Somehow she didn't want that anymore.

Kid's eyes gazed into hers intently. "I'm sorry Maka. But I can't consent to that."

"W-What? Why?" Confused and a little hurt, she searched her mind for answers. _Does he hate me? Did I do something wrong?_

"Because…" Kid took a breath before following what he felt like doing. Both of his hands (For the sake of symmetry) held the sides of her face. He leaned in slowly and kissed her.

There was a time when they were friends. _If _you could call it that.

Back then, they didn't notice each other very much and didn't have _real _conversations. All it took to change that was a cat and some suggestive comments. Now they were closer than ever before. They weren't friends anymore, and were proud of it.


	2. Hate

_Hate_

He hated the way she made him feel. Death the Kid was _supposed _to be a strong and collected shinigami who is feared by everyone. But Maka…

She turned him into a blushing, stuttering fool. And it was embarrassing. He _wanted _to be cool and charm her with his poise, but what came out sounded like he was speaking gibberish.

Kid had never felt this way about anyone before. _And it was driving him nuts!_ Maka was pushing out his OCD and was slowly taking its place. (The fits were still there, but were not as extreme.) When he ate something, he often found himself wondering if she liked it. When Liz painted her nails, he questioned whether or not Maka indulged in such things to keep up her appearance.

Kid hated what was happening to him. These _changes_ were so extreme, and were happening so fast. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling until he consulted Liz. She laughed at him for being so naïve, and told him he was in love.

He _couldn_'_t_ be in love with Maka! It was…It was impossible. She was already taken by Soul. _Soul…_ Thinking about them together made him upset. Why couldn't she be_ his _and live with _him_?

The shinigami made Liz swear she wouldn't tell another soul of his predicament; even Patty. The next day he went to the library to find a book that could help him. He started in the 'Love' section and pulled out a few volumes.

Kid sat down at one of the tables and read for a long time. Many people passed but he was so engrossed in the novels in front of him he couldn't tell who it was. These books weren't helping; they were telling him about how wonderful love could be. He closed the current one's cover and sighed. Would he ever find what he needed?

Then, one of the titles popped out at him: _Love and Loss: A Guide. _Kid checked the table of contents automatically and scanned the titles.

"What're you reading?" The melodic voice danced in his ears for a bit, and he idly marveled at how she could make such a beautiful sound. Not to mention the perfectly symmetrical figure.

And then he realized who it was. Quickly, Kid gathered the books and hid them from his crush. "Nothing. I'm not reading anything."

"Come on, you can show me. I won't say anything." Maka smiled to him and it made his heart melt. In his obvious lack of self-defense, she leaned a little so she could see some of the headings.

Confused, Maka asked, "Kid? Are you in love with someone?" Kid was daydreaming until she brought it up.

"Er…" He was able to control his blush this time, but knew he couldn't lie about this. "Yes…"

Hurriedly, Maka went to his side of the table and sat down right next to him. They were still in the library, so she leaned in next to his ear and whispered, "Tell me. I can give you advice."

The close proximity…Feeling her breath in his ear…And even seeing her hand so close to his on the table sent his heart beating like never before. Kid was getting _so _nervous, his palms were getting sweaty, and he could _feel _his blush.

When she didn't get an answer, Maka continued her interrogation. "Is it someone I know?" Kid nodded numbly.

"Hmm…She's symmetrical, right?" Maka leaned away from him to examine his expression. She rested her head on the palm of her hand; elbow propped on the table. He didn't even notice the lack of symmetry in this situation.

Again, he nodded mutely. If the shinigami spoke, he feared it would sound more like a croak. "Tell me about her. These questions aren't helping me at all," Maka giggled to herself.

Kid gulped before speaking, hoping to swallow his nerves. "She's…Beautiful. Smart. _Symmetrical_. Brave…But she has someone else."

Maka frowned at the thought. "Is it a crush? Or…Are you really in love with her?"

"…How can I tell?" Kid's eyes shifted from Maka, to the books, and then to his knees. His heart was still racing.

"Well…" She thought for a moment. Recently, she'd been reading a bit too much into romantic stories. "Do you think about her a lot? Does your heart race when you're with her? When you think about her with someone else, does it make you jealous?"

Oh. So _that _was the emotion he was feeling earlier. "Yes. All of them."

"Do you _know _for sure that she's together with the other guy?" Even though Kid's gaze was restless, Maka's never wavered from her friend's. She was going to help him through this.

"…They haven't announced it. But they are really close." Maka stood up suddenly, her chair clattering to the floor. The librarian glared at the disturbance. The meister gave her a hushed apology so the lady wouldn't come over and scold her.

Kid was still staring in shock at her. Maka turned back to the shinigami, grabbed both of his hands and pulled him up.

She let one go and dragged Kid outside, her right hand still gripping his. _She's holding my hand…It's not symmetrical…! Can she tell that I'm nervous? Where are we going? Maka's beautiful…_

A billion thoughts went through the poor shinigami's head. Luckily, he was able to say something. "Maka, where are we going?"

"We're going to go find your crush and you _are_ going to confess." Maka had a fierce, determined look. She wasn't going to let him off of this.

Kid blushed _again_, and let himself be tugged around Death City by Maka. Occasionally she would motion to a girl and ask if it was her, but he would always shake his head.

He couldn't waste her time like this. She _did_ encourage him to do it. So…

Kid stopped walking, forcing Maka to stop as well. She turned back to ask him what was wrong but the question got caught in her throat.

He was staring at the ground, and she couldn't see his face clearly. "Maka…_We_ aren't going to find her."

"What? Why not?" Maka furrowed her brow, thoroughly confused. He wasn't making any sense.

"Because…" Kid sighed and forced his gaze into her eyes. "It's you. The one I'm in love with is _you_. I can't stop thinking about you, whenever I'm with you my heart races, and when I think about you with someone else it drives me crazy. I've _never _felt like this about someone else ever before."

Maka looked dumbstruck. _He was…He was in love with me? I must've sounded like an insensitive jerk…What do I say? I don't think I like him like that…_

"Kid…I'm flattered, really…But—""Maka. This story…It ends like a fairy tale, right? I _hate _fairy tales, but still…I want to have a 'happy ever after.' At least give me a chance. A _taste _of what true happiness is." Kid cut her off.

Maka's heart fluttered a bit at that, and she gave in. "We can go on a date, and we'll decide from there. Okay?"

Kid lunged forward and hugged her tightly. "I love you." Maka blushed at the intensity of the statement. She couldn't say it back, not yet, so she simply embraced him.

After the date, they fell deeper in love. They eventually got married, and lived in a big mansion with all eight of their children.

In the end, they _did _live happily ever after.

"I _hate _fairy tales."

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**(Author's Notes: Just had to add that last part. xD What'd you think? I'm going to try and update this story every day, or every other day. I hope you enjoy my future ones!)  
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	3. Found

_Found_

"Wait…So you guys have been dating this whole time?" Liz stared incredulously at Kid and Maka. The couple had called all of their friends to meet in the Gallows mansion because they had something important to tell everyone.

Maka nodded to Liz's question. She was embarrassed to admit the fact that she had a boyfriend, especially to Soul and Black*Star. They always made fun of her on that aspect.

Surprisingly, Soul _and _Black*Star had serious expressions. "For how long?"

"After the Kishin's defeat. We started going on walks together as friends, and we spent more time talking about everything. It just… Happened." Maka explained with a faint blush. Kid still hadn't said anything.

Black*Star started chuckling, and everyone looked at him. "How far did you go?"

Maka's entire face turned red and she couldn't stutter out a response. Kid put his arm around her comfortingly, and watched Black*Star, "I think we'll keep that to ourselves." He still had a slight smile.

"A-A-Are you both in l-love?" Everyone had forgotten Crona was there, *she was so quiet that no one even noticed. They answered in unison, "Yes, I love him/her."

The couple smiled at each other. Patty started singing, "They are in love~! They are in love~!"

Liz was the first to congratulate the two. She got up and hugged both of them, "I'm so happy for you guys." Patty gave them quick hugs before standing next to her sister.

Tsubaki was next, and she wished for them to have a blissful life together. (Ever the optimist.) "Tsubaki… It's not like we're getting married." Maka laughed at her friend.

Black*Star was itching for attention, but was able to exercise that little bit of self-control he had. He gave Kid a light punch on the shoulder, ignoring the glare from his friend, "Good luck, man. Women can be scary." He gave Maka a simple thumbs-up to signify his approval before going over to Tsubaki. He needed attention from_ someone_!

Crona walked up to them timidly. Maka gave her a big bear hug. "T-Thank you. I-I hope you are happy t-together." She smiled shakily at the shinigami.

Soul was last. He went to Maka first, and smiled at his meister. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Keeping things from your partner isn't cool."

Maka grinned back, "I was going to tell you. And why didn't you tell me about Liz, then?" Soul had a light blush.

"How did you know about that?" His hands were stuffed in his pockets. It was no secret that Soul had a crush on the elder Thompson sister.

"Apparently after your date with her, she told Kid all about it." Soul gave her a one-handed hug, the other hand in his jeans. He _was _a cool dude, after all. "Take care of yourself."

Maka giggled at this. "I'm still living in our apartment, you know. I still need to make you a Death Scythe."

Their hug lasted the longest. Once Soul pulled apart, he went over to Kid. "You better not hurt her. Or I'll set you straight."

Kid glanced sidelong at Liz, "I could say the same." They both shook hands, finally on the same page.

Everyone decided to leave the couple alone, coming up with their own excuses. Soul and Liz both went to dinner together. Black*Star and Tsubaki trekked back to their house, but they probably got sidetracked along the way. Patty dragged Crona out to the zoo for some fun.

Kid wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "Why didn't you tell them the truth?" Maka hugged him back.

"What do you mean?" The shinigami put his head on top of hers calmly. He could feel her breath on the bottom of his neck.

"About when we got together." Kid replied.

"I didn't lie! That's when I _considered _us being…Us." Maka explained, feeling a little upset at the fact he thought she wasn't telling the truth.

"But what about that time I told you I liked you?" Kid was amused because Maka was getting so worked up over this.

"That was during the big battle, and I was thinking about how to defeat the Kishin! I thought you meant it as friends." She gripped the back of his jacket.

"I thought I was pretty clear. It was too bad you didn't see that shot I used against him." He was obviously proud of his accomplishment.

"I was saving Soul. And when I got back, you didn't look too good." Kid pulled away from the hug and sat down on the couch with a grimace. "Black*Star and I had to protect you… It hurt to hear you fight. I couldn't help. I'm sorry…"

"Wait…You were awake?" Maka stared at him incredulously. Kid looked down. This talk was bringing back bad memories.

"I couldn't move at all. But when you screamed at that time…" He shuddered involuntarily. Maka put her hands on his shoulders, "Kid. You did great. And it's over now. Everything's okay. _I'm _okay."

Kid shook his head, "No. I was worthless. I can't preserve symmetry and I couldn't help you defeat Asura. If I had trusted my Father…If I had been stronger…Things would have been different."

"If things had ended differently, we might not be where we are today. I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Otherwise, I might not have you."

Kid looked up into her eyes. "…You're right. I don't know what I'd do without you and symmetry."

"_And _symmetry?" Maka wanted to laugh at that, but knew better of it.

"Yes. Symmetry is beautiful. And…Wait. Were there eight or nine jackets in my closet?" Kid started sweating. Was his closet asymmetrical? "I have to check..."

"Wait a second, we were having a moment." Maka glared at the shinigami. He was starting to get up.

"It'll only take a minute. We can 'have a moment' when I get back."

Maka sighed. She was going to have to use desperate measures. _Again_. "Kid, I'm not symmetrical anymore."

The shinigami whirled around immediately and gasped. _It was true!_ One pigtail was taken out, a shoe was missing, one sock was higher than the other, a glove was taken off, and her coat was lopsided! She _even _had a smile that only curled up on one side!

"I can't believe this! I must correct it at once. I can't imagine how terrible it must be to feel asymmetrical." Kid rushed over to her, and Maka really wanted to mention the Sanzu lines, but decided against it.

Later, he found out that she would always mess up her symmetry to keep him from leaving. And even later than that he would realize that there were actually seven jackets in his closet.

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**(Author's Notes: Hello again! This one is a little shorter, but I still hope you like it.)**

*** = At this part, I used Crona as a girl. Please don't argue about his or her gender.  
**


	4. Trust

_Trust_

It took some serious trust to go on Beelzebub. No sane person would go on a flying skateboard with only another person to hold on to for support. But technically… Everyone's a little crazy deep down(1).

But that also means everyone's brave, too. And with the combination of madness and bravery, Maka felt unbeatable. Almost like she could do anything.

Until Kid tried to get her on that_ thing. _Maka had done a lot of things in her life, but flying was not on that list. But wait, it gets worse! That skateboard could reach speeds of over _350 mph_.

It wasn't that she was _afraid_; she simply…Preferred the ground.

"You don't trust me, do you?" He had outright asked her one day. Maka was taken aback by the sudden question, but knew where it had originated from.

"I _do_ trust you; I trusted you with my life while fighting the Kishin. Remember? You could've left me to die or something." Maka mentioned, not wanting to be misunderstood.

"Prove it to me. Have you ever heard of the (2)Trust Game?" He asked playfully, and she briefly wondered if she'd waltzed right into his trap.

"No, I haven't." When she was small, Maka usually stayed inside reading books rather than going out and playing with other kids, so she didn't know many games. Heck, she didn't even know how to play basketball!

"Okay. What happens is…" Kid put his hands on her shoulders and turned her away so her back was facing him. "You have to fall back without taking steps. You have to trust me; I'll catch you."

Maka gulped; this wasn't that hard. She spread her arms out, took a breath experimentally, and was leaning back…

But then all of her past trauma about deceitful men came flooding into her mind. Maka panicked, already unable to halt the procedure. Was he going to drop her and go to another girl like her papa did to her mom? Maybe he was going to let her crack her head open? Her rational thoughts came too late, however.

Maka felt the gravity pulling on her and fear threatened to drown her. She stumbled backwards with a bit too much force causing the shinigami to topple over as well. An uncomfortable silence fell between them as Maka wasn't sure whether or not she should get up, apologize, and run away.

"You really don't trust me…I didn't realize how unreliable I am to you... I know I'm the worst shinigami in the world and I _can't_ preserve symmetry_ or_ fold the toilet paper, but... I prided myself with being…A friend of yours." He ended with a downcast look in his eyes.

"It's not like that…I was remembering what P—Spirit did to my mama and I got scared. It was a split second subconscious thought. I doubted you. I'm so sorry…" Ashamed, Maka stared hard at her lap.

A pause. A long, awkward pause. "…For someone who doesn't trust men, this position is very compromising."

"Huh…?" Maka noticed an old man a few paces away that glanced at them disdainfully with a soft mutter that sounded like 'Youngens 'dese days. Who raised 'dem kids to do such shamefuller thingens in public?' Confused, she evaluated their sitting arrangement and actually found it quite embarrassing.

Kid was sitting with his legs apart, his knees bending upward. Maka fit in snugly inside, and her nerdy mind came up with the (3)analogy that Kid was like a big, comfy chair. She hadn't even noticed it before, but she was leaning back on him fully. The way she landed on him placed her head on his chest neatly and she could hear his constant-yet-skipping heartbeat. His own head rested on top of hers comfortably. It felt wrong to admit how _great _and _warm _it was.

"Should I show you how an untrustworthy man would act like in this situation to make you see how loyal I am?" Kid pondered aloud, wondering what reaction it would elicit. Maka stiffened immediately before trying to find the words to say 'no.'

Kid found himself putting his arms around her and (if it was possible) pulling her back even closer to him. He faked an innocent-yet-sinister voice, "Maka, you know I'd do anything for you, right? And you feel the same?"

Maka had tears in her eyes; this was going too far. "MAKA-CHOP!" She pulled out a book out of nowhere and smacked Kid hard on the head. He comically fell back with blood spurting out from the place of impact, his arms withdrawing as he did so.

"That was mean, Kid. Do you know what kind of childhood I had to go through because of him? And you're making a joke of it?! I can't believe you!" Suddenly recovered, Kid hurriedly got on his feet. She turned away; she had to escape. She_ had_ to…!

"Wait, Maka." He spoke quietly, his eye twitching as he did so, but he knew she heard him. "Stop." Kid commanded once again. Chasing her, he grabbed Maka's arms and halted her movements.

"Why are you getting so into the part?!" Maka angrily asked. She tried to latch her arms free, but to no avail.

"I'm not. You're asymmetrical… Completely and utterly." Maka's confusion clouded her fury as her eyebrows furrowed. His grip on her arms loosened and his hands slipped down into hers.

"That frown doesn't suit you. It contrasts you so much that I would consider it asymmetry. Nottomentiontheleftcornergoe sdownacentimetermorethanther ightside…" Kid tried to keep it to himself, but couldn't help it.

"Also, when you get angry, you tend to lean on your right side, and your rational thoughts end up being ignored completely as they asymmetrically run around in your head, causing mayhem to whomever their words may be delivered to." Kid wasn't pleased with the way that came out, but he was sure she understood the meaning.

"And most importantly…Your heart isn't symmetrical. You think every man is like your father and will do terrible things to you. That makes one side full of grief while the other isn't…I must fix that soon.(4)" Kid smiled sheepishly at the ending.

His eyes quenched all of Maka's worries and anger, and she couldn't even remember why she was so upset only two minutes ago. Suddenly, she didn't have control of her words.

"I'm ready." Kid tilted his head, clearly puzzled on whatever she was referring to.

"I trust you. I want to play that game again." Maka awkwardly shuffled her feet, hoping to get what she wanted.

Kid chuckled in turn. "I'll catch you." They got into position for the Trust Game, and Maka took a deep breath. _I can do this. Kid is different._ She found that she was surprisingly calm, and fell back.

And he caught her. Just like he'd promised. It was a wonderful feeling; being in those arms of his after being pulled to the ground by gravity…

Wait. Speaking of ground, why was it getting further away? Maka opened her eyes and it felt like she was flying. _She was._

Kid had taken advantage of the situation and summoned Beelzebub. When she fell back, he pulled her onto the skateboard expertly and was already too high for her to jump off.

He started going slow at first, hoping Maka would enjoy it. "How is it?"

Maka looked into his eyes and smiled genuinely, "It's a bit frightening to be so high, but it's beautiful. I'm only able to enjoy this because I can trust you. Thank you…"

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**(Author's Notes: Thanks for all the reviews everyone, they're wonderful! I actually like this one quite a bit, other than the terrible OOC-ness, but you are the judge! Sorry if something confused you, I tried to elaborate a few things below. Tell me what you think :)**

**1) = I was referring to what the Kishin Asura said in one of the last episodes of the anime about everyone having Madness and Bravery within them.  
**

**2) = The Trust Game is simply something kids do together to see how much the other trusts them. It's real.  
**

**3) = If you didn't know, an analogy is a comparison of two things that have similar traits.  
**

**4) = In the good way; by getting rid of the grief in her heart.  
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	5. Too Much

_Too Much_

Honestly, sometimes he could be too much. All of his symmetry fits, and_ everything _about him in general could be a hand full.

Kid couldn't stand anything asymmetrical. If Maka accidentally did something she intended to be affectionate that wasn't symmetrical, he would scold her and fix the disturbance immediately. For instance, one time Maka tried holding his hand, but he would not do it because his other side would be bare. Instead, he lectured her on the importance of symmetry in his life.

It was beyond annoying. Every single time Maka asked him on a date, he would freak out if it wasn't at exactly 8 O'Clock. When they just so happened to get to the (1)Death Diner without a fit, Kid would complain about the food on the plate not being symmetrical. It was so embarrassing to be there when it happened, too.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the shinigami was always so busy with missions. Being _the_ Shinigami-sama's son tended to give him more work than the regular meisters, but still. They never got time to themselves, and every single time they did he would have a fit. Seriously!

Usually when it happened he would apologize and tell her he loved her very much, and it was enough. But now… Seeing all of her friends happily in love, having the times of their lives with that _one _special person… It made her jealous of them. Maybe she had bitten off more than she could chew when she fell in love with Death the Kid. Maybe he was… Too much.

Maka intended to tell him this, but she lost the heart to when she saw his happy face; _happy _to see her.

"Oh, Maka! What brings you here?" His somewhat stressed expression lightened up when he noticed it was his wonderfully symmetrical girlfriend at the door.

She nervously looked around, "Can I come in?" Kid assented to her request and opened both doors entirely, taking a step back for her to enter. Maka did so and closed the doors behind her, trying her best to do it symmetrically.

In the past Maka had stressed to him not to take her overcoat off, feeling extremely embarrassed when he did so. But his inner gentleman would not allow him to ignore it, and thus he unbuttoned it for her. She still blushed from this even though he did it every time.

"Kid, is this really necessary?" Maka shrugged off the coat anyways, already knowing the answer from previous conversations of the same nature.

He simply chuckled at this as he stowed it in a nearby closet. Kid then turned back to her, for what she assumed a 'symmetry checkup.'

And she was right. Kid's gaze flitted over her, and he was straightening out her sweater-vest along with the cuffs of her long-sleeved shirt. It was always weird when Kid would do this so casually, it just…Wasn't something couples did…

It was almost like their relationship was a father-daughter one, with how he was always making sure she was always 'dressed correctly,' how he would tell her how to do things the right way… That's why it felt weird when they would do romantic things together. Maka was going to protest against this action, tell him that she couldn't do this anymore, but he spoke first.

"I love you so much, Maka. You are so much more important to me than you could ever realize." His hands rested on her shoulders. She felt like a terrible person with what her goal in coming here today, but his statement made her feel really guilty.

Maka pulled Kid's hands off of her with a remorseful look on her face. "…We need to talk."

The shinigami's eyes widened slightly at the use of those words; Liz always forced him to sit through those sappy romance movies. Rarely what came afterwards was something good.

A little too panicky-sounding, Kid spoke, "Did I do something wrong? Am I too asymmetrical?" Maka sighed.

"That's just it. All you think and talk about is symmetry this, symmetry that. It's ruining our relationship and I don't think I can deal with that. This is too much for me. You're my first boyfriend, and I thought we could work everything out together. I do love you, but… I'm sorry."

"This is about symmetry? Please, don't do this, Maka. You're the first girlfriend I've ever had, and one of the only people who have accepted me. I won't be able to simply forget you; I'm in too deep. I can… I can change." Kid desperately tried to change her mind about this. He loved her way too much to let go well…ever.

Maka tilted her head, unsure. "I don't know, Kid…" He swallowed the lump in his throat from the unbalanced gesture, trying not to notice it. "Look, I'm…Not symmetrical anymore." The shinigami pulled one of his rings off, gaining a nose bleed.

Kid then proceeded to take one shoe off and received a huge head ache. "See, I can handle it. I won't even mention it. _Please_ don't leave me." His eyes were shaking slightly under the pressure.

"You _can't_ handle it, K—"In one last attempt to change her mind, Kid kissed her. It was very deep and passionate, and a bit surprising. They weren't a very romantic couple; what with symmetry being so high a priority, and being a gentleman, they usually didn't kiss so…Seriously.

At first Maka was too taken aback to react, but eventually tried to pull away. Kid didn't stop, however, and dominantly pushed her against the wall, careful not to be too harsh.

Maka would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. Kid was always so gentle and timid with his affections; it was nice for him to be rough and so forward for once. This action held so much more feeling than the words mentioned beforehand.

The shinigami slowed the kiss down a few notches so it was more of a loving gesture. When he finally did pull away, Maka had a slightly awed expression that he would always remember.

"…Woah…Don't you think…That was…A bit too much?" She was out of breath, and didn't know what to say.

"No. I'd be willing to do anything for you. So… Did you like it?" Kid enjoyed being in control of the situation, and was sure he reversed her decision by the way she kissed back. At least, after she tried to push him away. At the time he was so desperate that he even attempted to be somewhat forceful. The only reason he would even think about that was because women, as far as he could tell from all those boring romance films he'd seen, liked it. _And _because Maka did used to have a crush on Soul.

"It was great," Maka admitted with a blush. He was still really close to her and didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon.

Kid wasn't freaking out over the fact that he wasn't symmetrical. He wasn't thinking about how they were on one side of the hallway. He didn't even _care _that one of his hands were a little higher on the wall than the other.

"…Do you still want to break up?" Kid needed to know whether or not she would continue to be with him, hoping to Death that she would say no.

"As long as symmetry is out of the picture, no. I don't want to break up with you." Maka wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

Sometimes, Kid could be a bit too much. He tried to be the best boyfriend he could be, but usually came off as clingy or overprotective. But when you know you will live for so long, you can't really help wanting someone to be with you the whole time. Most shinigami avoid falling in love, too afraid of the consequences. When it does happen, however, it is practically impossible to fall out. Which is why Kid often says, "I love you way too much."

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for being so late! The first week of school was long and I barely had time to myself... But here it is! If you have any questions, feel free to ask! :)**

**1 = The Death Diner is a restaurant I made up in a previous one shot of mine, and I _do _own the idea.  
**


	6. Tears

_Tears_

Maka found herself hiding her tears more and more often. After Soul's disappearance during a mission a month ago, she wasn't the same anymore.

At first, she had told herself time after time that he would be coming home soon, but her spirits died down eventually. Now, she wasn't even sure if he was still alive or not.

Maka was brave though. Everyone started looking up to her for guidance after the Kishin's defeat and she couldn't let all of them down. If everyone knew that she wasn't as fearless as they had thought, then they would be disappointed and it would stab her in the heart.

Which is why Maka locked herself in her room to cry. The other reason was because she didn't want to worry her close friends with her problems. Sure, they could help her, but that would be troubling them and Maka needed to get through this herself.

When it first started happening, Blair often knocked on her door and voiced her worries. But it was always the same; Maka would only answer with a choked up sob and the cat would sigh. And then she would go out. Blair was starting to go to the Chupacabra more and more often because of this.

Maka missed Soul so much. The void in her heart that once held her partner could not be refilled and it left her with an empty feeling. She squeezed her pillow tightly and let more tears escape. Was he ever going to come home?

"Soul, don't you want to be a Death Scythe…?" Maka sobbed at the thought. If he didn't come back, he'd never accomplish his dream of being Shinigami-sama's weapon.

Maka needed something. _Someone _to take his place in her heart so she wouldn't be all alone. She could taste her salty tears as they continued to fall._ Nobody could replace Soul._ But… She couldn't lament forever; Soul wouldn't want that.

Maka reached over to her desk where she kept a recent photograph of all of her close friends. She scanned through them with slightly blurred vision. The only two people in the photograph that she could attempt anything with was…

Black*Star and Death the Kid. Black*Star was similar to Soul in almost every way possible, except for the fact that he was overly obnoxious and had an ego bigger than the entirety of Death City, if that were possible. But those two traits in themselves were enough to make Maka's choice for her.

And then there was Death the Kid. Maka's fingers traced over his face in the picture. He was a complete gentleman and the opposite of Soul. Kid was cute and rich, too. Not to mention a shinigami. Almost everything about him was appealing, except for the one fault that drove away every girl that attempted to go out with him. His obsession with symmetry.

It didn't bother Maka too much, partly for the fact that he had never freaked out about her own appearance. The good things about Kid outweighed the bad by a lot. Maybe he was worth a shot. Unless Maka was seeing things, she was almost positive that Kid was interested in her in _that _way.

Maka sniffled, but couldn't help but smile slightly at the memory. Although she hadn't been paying much attention at the time, in hindsight it seemed pretty obvious.

_ A couple of days ago, Maka was rushing to her apartment, already feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. At the DWMA they had introduced her to new weapons that could be her replacement partner and she didn't take it too well._

_Apparently Kid had followed her. He ended up matching her pace and, upon noticing the pink and puffy eyes, inquired, "Maka, are you okay?"_

_She hadn't even noticed he was there. Even though he had already seen it, Maka attempted to hide her face by turning away._

_"I'm fine." Her voice came out hoarsely, and Maka felt as if a stranger had stolen her voice away._

_"You don't look fine. Did something happen in the Death Room?" He sounded concerned. Maka sniffed, and coughed inaudibly so her voice wouldn't come out so terribly._

_"I don't want to talk about it." It seemed he was going to follow her all the way to her apartment. Which was only a few more paces._

_"Alright…I copied down the notes for you, so…here. Talk to me more often, okay?" Maka glanced towards Kid and he had a slight blush._

_"Yeah…Talk to you later," She half-heartedly waved before entering into her apartment. Once Maka was inside, Kid clutched his still fast beating heart. After Maka cried her heart out that day, and finally got the courage to look over the notes did she see that Kid had slipped in a phone number. Obviously, it was a completely symmetrical number with eights._

Maka looked over at those notes and pulled out the cell phone number. She sniffled once more and checked to make sure her voice didn't sound like she was crying. Maka then pulled out her phone and dialed.

Kid answered almost a little too quickly, "Hello?"

"Hey, Kid. It's Maka." She cheered for herself when she sounded normal.

"Oh, so what's the call about?" Maka could practically hear his blush. It was cute, but it wasn't really a romantic feeling.

"I just wanted to…um…talk. Are you busy?" Maka twiddled her thumbs nervously. Kid was always busy.

"No, I'm not. What do you want to talk about?" Kid pushed his books aside and listened to Maka completely. He knew something had been bothering her lately, (well, he knew it was about Soul Eater Evans already) and was waiting for her to talk to him about it.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Kid?" Maka questioned randomly. She could hear the innocent curiosity in her voice and guessed that he would assume it was simply a conversation starter rather than something suggestive.

"N-No. I've had my eye on someone for a while, though." Kid was listening intently at this point. What was her response going to be?

"I see…Kid, do you maybe want to go out sometime?" There was a hopeful edge in her tone that was impossible to miss. Kid almost nodded, but caught himself.

"Yes, that would be nice."

They hit it off after that and eventually got married. Kid was in love, but Maka… She was basking in his affection. She was still in love with her missing partner, Soul. Maka was painfully reminded of this fact every time she went to sleep with silent tears.

Kid couldn't replace Soul.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Gosh, I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been really busy lately, but I'll try to get chapters up sooner. I don't like this one very much, but it's supposed to be one of those 'dark' themes. I hope you enjoyed it; at least a little bit.)**


	7. Grief

_Grief_

I miss you.

Is this normal? Does everyone feel this way years after their special someone goes away?

Maka, what's happening to me? I remember telling you how I felt after defeating the Kishin. And I still feel that way. The best day of my life was when you told me you loved me back. I was so surprised when that happened.

As you all grew older and changed in different ways, I continued to stay the same. I still can't believe that Soul was the first one to pass on. He was a good man, and at least he was asleep when it happened. I can't say the same for Black*Star. I mean, I can't believe he got cancer. Tsubaki was stricken with grief when he left her. She absolutely refused to eat or do anything until she too followed her love. Is that what I'm feeling? Grief? It's stupid of me to say this, but I wish I could do the same as Tsubaki to meet you again.

Liz and Patty both were going out on their daily walks. Their old age didn't slow them down in the least. However, an armed man did. We still don't know why he had done it or who he is, but I'm still investigating. Isn't it ironic? They lost their lives in a similar environment as to where they were born.

And then there was you. Maka, to me, your death was the most tragic. You were the last one left from the group other than me. I remember it perfectly. You stared out of the window as you had been doing for months. And you always used to ask me the same question... "What decides when it's someone's time to go?" I used to reply every time with an "I don't know."

But on that particular day, you didn't ask me that, and instead you told me something that I often hear in my dreams. You specifically said, "I'm going to see everyone today. I can feel Death gnawing at my soul at this very moment, letting me know of what is to come. Is this what it feels like to finally let go? I have no regrets, Kid. I love you."

I held you after that. You had that same sweet smile that you always got when you were content. I cried when your heart stopped. It was the worst feeling in the world; even worse than when I lost my father. I could've brought you back, but I didn't. You wouldn't have wanted to be a shinigami, much less eternal life. I knew you wanted to see your friends once again.

I miss you.

I took my father's place at Shibusen and tried to be as great a shinigami as him. The students seemed to notice my distress and asked me constantly what was bothering me. I couldn't compare to Chichiue's aloofness, and it was difficult to cope with your death. Wasn't I supposed to be the great Death the Kid, related to Shinigami-sama himself?

I think about you everyday. To try and ease this pain I feel, I've even started writing in this journal. I don't know if it will help, but the first page has that picture of you that I've kept since I fell in love with you. Which is, in all honesty, the first day I met you. Before I went to Shibusen, my father gave me the school records of the students so I'd be able to make friends easily by knowing everything about them.

You were the one that really sparked my interest. When I first laid eyes on your picture, the one thing that I noticed was that you were symmetrical. That immediately made me want to meet you. But when I did, I realized that you were far more than just symmetrical. You were beautiful, smart, athletic, and feisty. Yes, I_ even_ liked that about you.

I miss you.

I wish you would have 'Maka-chopped' me at least once. It was the way you showed Soul Eater how much you cared about him. At the time, I was actually really jealous of your relationship with him, but I was a gentleman and wouldn't show it. There was only the occasional spiteful comment and resentful glare during class, but he never noticed.

Did you have feelings for him back then? Why am I even asking… It's obvious that you did. I don't know if you ever noticed, but every time Blair showed up in her human form and skimpy outfit, I looked away. It was my way of being faithful even though we weren't anything but friends. But when I glanced at you to see if you were paying attention, you were always glaring at Soul for his nosebleed.

There is a saying that goes something like 'Don't be upset that its over; be happy that it happened.' While it holds some truth, all I feel is grief. I am happy I met you, but… I want you here. I _want _to be with you right now. Where are you?

Maka, when will I be able to see you again? When our son grows up and takes my place? I don't know if I can wait that long. Why did you seem so happy to leave me?

I miss you.

I'm so lost right now, Maka. I need your guidance. What am I supposed to do? I'm all alone; everyone's left this world already. Is this how it was destined to end up? …Was this the way Chichiue felt when his friends died?

I would give anything to bring you back. I don't even want to be a shinigami and if symmetry would save you I would get rid of it entirely.

Do you see what you've done to me? If I never met you, I wouldn't be feeling this way… Would it be better that way? If I hadn't fallen in love with you, would I still be the same as back then?

But… Somehow, I wouldn't want to do that. I treasure our memories together more than I do myself. I hate this. I hate me. I still look as if I'm twenty or thirty and I don't have to worry about old age. Why couldn't I be normal? Or… Why couldn't you have been a shinigami?

…No. That was a stupid question. I couldn't do that to you. No matter how lonely I get, I don't ever want you to feel this, even if it eases mine. Actually, I've been saying I would 'wish' for certain things throughout this entry, and I finally know what I would actually use that wish for.

I wish I could go back in time to when I first fell in love with you. To relive those experiences…That would be the best wish anyone could give me. But the thing about wishes is… they rarely come true.

I miss you.


	8. Rain

_Rain_

Is it true that kissing in the rain feels so much better than regular kissing? Who came up with that idea, anyway?

Maka was watching one of those cheesy romance films with the gang and she could feel the awkward atmosphere gathering. _Everyone _knew that once those two lovebirds started running towards each other _in the rain_ it would end in a kiss.

Maybe it was just Maka feeling awkward. After all, she hadn't even had her first kiss yet! Maka blushed in embarrassment both from her thoughts and from the movie scene. Who had picked it, anyway?

Finally, the characters started talking. It was still romantic, but on a more…meaningful way to Maka. While actions did speak louder than words, she had a deep hatred for men who would 'make moves' on the unsuspecting girl who, really, did not want them. Maka was sure that this dislike branched out from her father's constant cheating, but it was a good reason, she figured.

_Wait, what's that weird pressure on my shoulder? _Maka sneaked a glance and realized it was a hand. _Someone _put their arm around her at some point during the movie. She looked over to see who it was on the other side of her.

Death the Kid. When did he sit next to her? Maka noticed he had a blush that was still visible despite the lights being turned off. She felt a blush rise up to her cheeks. She _did _have feelings for the shinigami, but she hadn't confessed or anything yet. So why was he suddenly doing this?

Hold on. Was he taking advantage of the fact that Maka was a girl and because of the overly romantic movie?

_Why should I have thought of him differently? Because he's a gentleman? _Maka thought heatedly. So this meant _all _men were the same. Kid was probably the least likely to stoop so low what with his dad being Shinigami-sama himself. Or was that more of a reason since he'd be rich and spoiled?

"…I'm tired. I'm going to go home, Soul." Maka stood up from the couch and let Kid's arm fall. Soul, who happened to be holding the remote, (was he the one who picked this movie out?) stared at her incredulously.

"Maka, it's only 8. How can you be tired already?" The others watched her as well, Black*Star a little disturbed that the movie had been interrupted. From the corner of Maka's eye, she could see Kid's crestfallen expression.

Maka dusted off her skirt before replying, "I have to go study for that test tomorrow, and I don't want to go to bed too late."

"Whatever," Soul continued under his breath while pressing 'play' on the movie, "_flat-chested bookworm."_

"Maka, let me show you to the door." Kid hastily jumped up, giving Liz a slightly desperate look. Did they plan something?

She simply nodded in return and made sure not to walk too closely to him. It was silent, and Maka was unaware of the mental battles within the shinigami's mind. Maka opened the door to leave, when she was caught with something unexpected.

"I wasn't aware that it was raining." Kid stated obviously, "Let me take you home on Beelzebub." Maka shook her head when she thought of how close they would have to stand. She wasn't comfortable with that, not yet.

"At least allow me to walk you home." Kid gazed into her eyes imploringly, the rain thumping hard just before them. Maka gave in and replied with a simple 'yes' in which his eyes lit up. She liked that.

It was a peaceful walk. Maka had always enjoyed being in the rain. No matter how bad she felt, no matter how crushing reality was, the rain was always there to embrace her in ways that no human contact could.

And if you stood there to revel in it, you could feel your worries wash away and leave you empty. Maka liked that feeling of contentment with a tinge of loneliness, and, as weird as it may sound, it made her feel complete. Yes, zero thoughts running around in Maka's head and not a single feeling, practically being empty, made her feel complete. It was all very strange, and she really didn't understand it, but that didn't stop the fact that she loved it. Maka wondered if she was the only one that felt that way.

"Can I hold your hand?" Kid questioned randomly, pulling Maka out of her reverie. She pondered the thought before stopping in her stride. Kid turned as soon as she did so with a curious expression.

"Why are you trying so hard? Do you really think I'm 'easy game' or whatever it is Soul calls it?" Had it been someone else, someone that wasn't so close to her and someone who she didn't currently have a crush on, then she would've glared ten times harder.

"Easy game? No, of course not! I'm courting you right now! Liz and Soul were helping me by getting everyone together and picking such a romantic movie. Although it was a bit _too _much, I was hoping to be subtle about asking you. I guess it's too late to make it special, but…"

The water droplets continued to pour down onto them. They were both soaking wet, and Kid's hair was plastered to his face. It was cute, Maka admitted, but if he had seen the asymmetry in it… It was simply a passive thought, as Maka could only stare wide-eyed at the shinigami's declaration. She had given up glaring at him by the second sentence.

"Will you go out with me?" Kid blurted out finally. He was staring at her anxiously, trying to get an idea as to what she was going to say, but Maka's expression was unreadable.

Maka had a slight smirk before twirling once in the weather. "Rain is wonderful, Kid. Did you know it's my favorite weather?" She reached her arms out to seemingly catch the falling droplets, but they simply slipped through her fingers.

"The water clings to you as if it is afraid to hit the ground. But when you try to save them, they go away. There are so many different things someone could say about rain, but still… That doesn't matter; rain saved me. When I am troubled about something, when I can't think straight… I go out into the rain. But you know what? …It's not always there."

Kid's brows furrowed. He didn't see how this was relevant to his earlier inquiry. "I can be there for you. I will take up those responsibilities in its absence," He promised.

Maka brushed her bangs out of her face. "Even though it couldn't always be there for me, I knew it would return eventually. But from my past experiences…People aren't quite so reliable. They deceive, steal, kill, and pretty much do anything if it gets them to their own end. I do think you're cute, Kid, but do you understand what I'm saying? …My dad cheated on my mom constantly, and she just left one day. I want to be like her, but still… I can't believe she just…disappeared."

"I could never do something like that to you. I'm not your father," Kid urged. What was she getting at?

"…Perhaps not." Maka stared down at the ground, watching the rain hit the stone roads. Kid stood straight and was wondering on what he should do. He didn't realize just how lost and depressed she was before, not with how cheerful and aggressive she always acted.

Kid took his steps toward her slowly and stopped when Maka was gazing at his shoes. The rain continued to slap down on the ground, hard. The shinigami rested both of his hands on either side of her face and forced her to look up at him.

"My feelings for you are forever. _I _am forever." Kid stared into her eyes for a few seconds and Maka's heart raced. Was he going to do it? Was she finally going to kiss someone in the rain and find out if it was just a myth?

Kid looked as if he wanted to, and was inching closer ever so slowly. Maka gulped. Why was she so nervous? The rain was there to comfort her and help her through this as it had done with everything else.

Maka's eyes fluttered closed; she was getting impatient. When he still didn't kiss her, Maka moved scarcely half an inch and met his lips. Kid's eyes shut automatically.

Maka was sure that Kid had a mint beforehand at some point; she could surely taste it. The whole experience was amazing; there was something new to discover with each passing second. Maka felt herself forgetting about the rain's pitter-patter as it seemed to get slower and slower. But the kiss didn't.

As it became more passionate, Kid wrapped his arms around her to bring them even closer. Maka enjoyed his warmth and the coldness from the water; they balanced each other out nicely.

Maka let her hands rest on his chest, not quite comfortable with that area on _her _body, thanks to Soul's constant teasing. Kid's lips were soft and inviting, which made her want to feel the inside of his mouth. But she was forgetting something, wasn't she?

Kid pulled away, breathing for air. Oh yeah, Maka was forgetting to breathe! She gulped down as much oxygen as she could muster. _I guess kissing in the rain really is all that…_


	9. Joy

_Joy_

Today was one of the best days of the year for couples. Especially in Death City, where any form of affection was magnified since everyone was constantly in several forms of mortal danger. But this day was reserved for love, not for missions. Shinigami-sama seemed to respect that and even closed down Shibusen for the day.

It was called Serpentine's Day. While the name of the holiday was ironic for what you were actually celebrating, no one seemed to question it. There was actually an old wives tale that told of how the day came about, and most people seemed to believe it. Supposedly, centuries ago Shinigami-sama had decided that everyone needed some more love in their lives, since everyone was so serious. And, the story goes, he deemed the day be called 'Serpentine's Day' to get kicks out of the fact everyone acted like cold reptiles all of the time. He neither accepted nor denied the tale, but seemed amused by the idea.

Death the Kid had planned out the perfect date. For the past few weeks he had neglected seeing Maka as often as he usually would so he could have more time to lay out exactly how Serpentine's Day would happen. It was _so _very important that it go smoothly, because, at the end he intended to tell the girl of his dreams that he loved her.

Before you get the wrong impression, the two were already going out. Kid and Maka were on a more 'like' basis, rather than 'love.' He was hoping to woo her considerably with this wonderfully symmetrical date, and change that.

So, it would go like this. Kid would knock on Maka's door, bearing a dozen green tulips and some chocolates. She would obviously smile and accept, thanking him happily. And then they would take a romantic walk through the park, in which Kid would initiate holding hands. She would probably blush, but would not pull away.

And then, when it would be about five, he would take her to the infamous Death Diner with reservations for two on the balcony. They would make small talk and would see the sun set beautifully.

After the great food, Kid would walk Maka home and she would thank him over and over. He would pass it as nothing much and eventually, the moment would arrive. They would be standing right outside of her apartment building, and Kid would confess. He would tell her of his undying love. She would reciprocate the feelings and tell him that she loved him too, and then…

Kid's plan ended there. He wasn't really sure what would happen next, but he was sure it would be something delightful. He pulled his skull necktie up tightly and examined himself in the mirror. Kid figured he himself had to look perfected for the night to go properly.

Kid had been so absorbed in making sure he was symmetrical (he had checked his eyelashes _eighty-eight _times) that he had lost track of the time. He looked over at the clock, and realized that he was twenty minutes late for when he had planned to knock on Maka's door.

The shinigami ran through his mansion, headed for the front door. He passed Liz and briefed her on when to expect him back. She simply gave him a very quizzical stare before shrugging and continuing painting her nails.

It took Kid a good ten minutes to reach his love's place. He took a minute to collect himself before knocking. There was shuffling footsteps, but they didn't sound like Maka's.

Soul answered the door. "Oh, hey Kid. Here for Maka?" The shinigami nodded straightforwardly and watched his friend turn away to shout into his apartment.

"Oi, Maka! Kid's at the door!" He then looked back at Kid and said, "Good luck. Maybe you can cheer her up."

He gave the other boy a questioning look and watched Soul retreat into the building. And then, Kid realized a mistake he had made in his hurry to get here: he had forgotten the flowers and chocolates.

Kid cursed to himself; this was supposed to be perfect! If he made simple mistakes like this, then the whole thing could be ruined.

Maka appeared behind the door and watched him with a slightly irate expression, "Hey Kid." She was wearing a red dress that seemed to fit her nicely. The shinigami was sure Liz was behind this.

"Oh, hey Maka. Are you ready to go?" Kid tried not to stare too long at how well the dress looked on her. He had told her that they would need to dress fancy, but still… She looked beautiful.

Kid felt a pang of guilt for forgetting the gifts, and hoped his charm would make up for it. Besides, maybe he could sneak away for five minutes and buy some more. That seemed like a good idea.

"Yeah, all set." They began walking down the road, and Kid decided that the walk in the park would have to be cut short.

"Are you okay?" Kid questioned, genuinely concerned for his girlfriend. She seemed bothered by something.

"I'm fine… It's just now that we're together Blair has taken to being more perverted towards Soul. It's really getting annoying; earlier she had invited Soul to take a bath with her, and she was only wearing a towel!"

"Are you…Jealous?" Kid really didn't want to ask, but it was a question that needed to be spoken. Logic had told him that jealousy was the most possible reason for her feeling bothered by such a thing, and he hoped that for once that he was wrong. If she really was jealous of Blair, then instead of getting closer tonight the two would end up breaking up. Kid didn't like that thought.

"What? No, of course not. I like you, Kid, not Soul. I'm mad because every morning when I wake him up to get ready for the day Blair is always 'doing things' to him. That's a problem because it takes him a lot longer to dress and he even loses focus while in battle." Maka had slight hurt evident in her features that he had doubted her feelings.

"Fair enough. If Liz or Patty started to get distracted during fights I would be upset as well." Kid smiled, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

Maka nodded to him and it was quiet. The shinigami remembered the next part of his plan and was about to reach out for her hand, but didn't quite get there when she moved ahead of him.

She turned and walked backwards so she was facing Kid. "Today is going to be a great Serpentine's Day; especially since I get to spend it with you."

The shinigami blushed lightly; Maka was too cute for her own good. And what was with that statement? Was she trying to elicit some sort of sweet response from him in return? Well, he_ was_ trying to charm her, and what better an opportunity than the one that lands right on your lap?

Kid smiled an attractively innocent grin, which was very appealing. He'd had to impress plenty of people in the past at his father's parties, and was glad for the experience.

He then took a couple of big steps toward her and hugged her. "Yes. Anything I do with you is enjoyable."

Maka effectively tripped on some well-placed rock behind her and accidentally brought both of them down onto the ground. Great. Now they were dirty.

Kid had half-way attempted to lessen the impact for Maka, which led them to this…awkward position. The shinigami's left hand was well-placed behind her head and the other…around her waist. Immediately after landing Kid's hands moved away from her body so as to gain balance, and because he didn't want to seem as if he was taking advantage of her.

However, it was still very awkward. No words were exchanged, but both had blushes strewn across their faces. At this point, Kid was hovering above her, his hands on either side of her face.

"Are you okay, Maka?" He was avoiding looking into her eyes, nervous beyond belief. His heart's fast beating didn't help the situation in the least.

"Yeah, I should be asking you that. You were able to cushion my fall." Maka seemed to be avoiding his eyes as well, which made the already awkward situation…ten times more awkward.

Kid tried to ignore the fact that they were in such an embarrassing position, but the thought kept returning to him, and, as if nothing else could go wrong…

"I love you." He had blurted out. In the worst possible place and with the such terrible timing. She stared at him wide-eyed for a few seconds, and Kid was afraid that she would reject him for coming on 'too strong.' Was it too early?

Maka pushed herself up on her elbows and brushed her lips against his briefly. Kid froze from the heartfelt gesture. Was that a yes? A no? They didn't kiss that often, so he was a bit surprised.

"I love you too."

Needless to say, Kid's perfect plan didn't go at all the way he wanted it to. The two didn't even go to the Death Diner and instead went back to the Gallows to spend their Serpentine's Day. But, he was still happy with the results. He got to confess and she reciprocated the feelings. All was joyous in the world.


	10. Shy

_Shy_

There was always something about shy couples that attracted their friends. There was always teasing to be found, no matter who it was. And, of course, when the boyfriend is _the _Shinigami-sama's son and a shinigami himself there are definitely going to be rumors floating around.

Most people figured that their shyness was just a cover-up in public and that they were actually very wild when alone. Others, predictably jealous girls, thought that Maka had forced Kid into going out with her. And, an even scarcer amount of people came up with the idea that they had been together since meeting each other.

Of course all of these were wrong, and none of them really had any truth in them. Death the Kid and Maka Albarn were both simply very withdrawn and were not quite familiar with romantic relationships. But still, they liked each other enough to give it a try.

In fact, they were both so inexperienced in dating that their first date was at a library. Only greetings and goodbyes had been spoken during the entirety of the date. Luckily, the second try had gone smoother. They had gone on a picnic and enjoyed themselves, until Kid realized that there weren't two baskets. Needless to say he started freaking out afterwards.

It almost felt as if they were still friends. Except stronger, and they were often feeling very self-conscious in the presence of the other. Not to mention holding hands, hugging, and even kissing. The farthest they had gone was a hug though, and that was under pressure from Black*Star.

So the question was this: did they lack chemistry? The thought seemed absurd; their personalities meshed so well! But was the 'spark' there? The fireworks that every girl dreamily talks about when she reminisces her first kiss?

But they hadn't even kissed yet! And Maka wasn't about to initiate such a bold move. _Besides_, Maka reasoned, _Everyone always says it 'happens in the moment.'_

That was just an excuse. Maka was a nervous wreck during any outings involving Kid. She over-analyzed everything she did, afraid that she might offend him. Kid didn't fare too well either, which led most of their interactions to be awkward and second-guessed.

Kid once went to Soul for advice. While the choice may seem odd, the shinigami figured that the weapon would have more insight on Maka and probably had experience in love.

Soul laughed at first and mumbled a bit, "I _knew _she would be too shy. Black*Star owes me twenty bucks now…"

Kid ignored his statement and repeated his inquiry. Soul had beckoned him into his (and Maka's) apartment to talk. Apparently the meister was out getting groceries, but Kid already knew that.

Soul lazily took a seat on the couch and Kid sat down as well, albeit more gracefully. "So, what you're trying to say is that she's your 'kryptonite' and makes you weak when you're near her, but she is too quiet around you as the predictable book worm. Because of this everything turns awkward and uncool, right?"

That was a lot of insight. Kid had only briefly mentioned that he needed help on his and Maka's relationship, and definitely not all of this. He nodded and spoke disdainfully, "Exactly. But I'm sure I wouldn't use the term 'kryptonite.' That's a bit overused, isn't it?"

Soul only shook his head with an amused smirk. "No, it was perfect for this situation. But you've come to the right place. Maka has always been quiet and a bookworm since I first met her, so that's no surprise. As far as I can tell she's never had any previous relationships, and with her parents' circumstances probably was a bit cautious about being in one now.

"Since you two have been friends for a long time, it must be strange to think of you any differently. And since she has feelings for you, Maka probably over-thinks about what she should and shouldn't do in every action she takes.

"But what you need to do is to take that step. Instead of being reserved and…boring…you need to show some initiative or some _coolness_. Do you know what I'm trying to say? You two are setting up a relationship as _friends _and it's set for a crash course. You need to make it more…eh…Couple-like." Soul shrugged, "Once you do that, she's sure to know how the relationship is supposed to be."

Kid stared in awe for a second, before smirking. "Thanks. I didn't know you could be so useful," he got up from the couch and made for the door, "I better go before Maka gets back."

Soul waved half-heartedly and the shinigami walked out. _He's going to be taking that step sooner than he expected. Heh, my birthday gift to Maka is sent. _He chuckled to himself.

As soon as Kid had walked a few steps away from the door, he saw Maka walking down the street. She noticed him as well, and even from this distance Kid could see a blush. It was strange to have this effect on her.

The shinigami then noticed the amount of bags she was carrying. Two…Four…Six…Eight bags! Kid rushed over and, in his mind, hoped that this would not be _another _awkward exchange. He wished for his courage to stay with him from the 'pep talk' given by Soul.

"Hey, Maka, let me carry some of those for you." He had already moved to grab some, and Maka almost rejected his help out of habit. She usually did this stuff by herself.

Kid not-so-accidentally brushed his hand across hers when he took several groceries. It elicited a blush from her, but she did not say anything.

He would have to be more forward. Touching hands was not very high on the 'couple-like' and 'coolness' chart. But he still didn't want to do something that might scare her away. What was he to do?

They made small-talk all the way back to her apartment, (it was strange to enter someplace you had left less than five minutes ago) and put the food in the kitchen. Apparently Soul had retreated to his room after their talk, as he was nowhere to be seen.

Kid helped put everything in its rightful place, and even went about placing every single thing in the kitchen symmetrically. Maka didn't even try to stop him.

Once he had calmed down, Kid thought about making his move. It seemed that in every movie in which the guy walks the girl home that they would kiss just before parting ways. But that would be like stealing a first kiss…Wait! Kid had the perfect idea.

The shinigami smiled warmly at Maka, (hopefully killing the awkwardness of his next movement) and embraced her. He didn't hesitate like he usually did, which, Soul seemed to point out, made Maka second-guess herself. Kid wondered if he was doing what he was supposed to be doing.

He decided that he should say something to 'spice' it up. "I really like you, Maka. I'm glad that I can be here with you right now, enjoying this." Maka had blushed profusely, and bashfully returned the hug.

"You don't have to be so shy around me. I think I know you pretty well at this point so it's not like you have to 'make a good impression' on me. If you want to hold hands, just ask. If you want to hug, just ask. If you even want to kiss, _just ask_. Okay? …I'll do the same."

Kid silently played with Maka's ponytails. If her hair was down, he would have run his fingers through it.

"…I want to kiss."

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Yes, I had to have a cliffhanger there. But the thing about cliffhangers in one-shots is that you won't get to actually see what happens. So I will leave it up to your imaginations! Also, I've decided that I would re-do the disclaimer every ten chapters. So here it is!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or any of its characters. **


	11. Broken

_Broken_

On that day, Maka's body broke.

To elaborate, there was a rather dangerous mission that needed two meisters without weapons, (for reasons unknown) and both Death the Kid and Maka Albarn decided to take it on. However, a surprise attack from their target witch gave the woman an advantage.

She intended to shock Kid into a stupor to give him to Arachne for some extra gold (the spider witch needed him to lure Shinigami-sama out from Death City), but Maka bravely took the blow. She later reasoned that he wouldn't have reacted in time.

Since the spell was meant for a shinigami, it was much too strong for any human, and had dastardly effects. Instead of putting her in a trance, it sent electrical shocks into her nervous system and wrecked it almost completely.

Stein told her that she wouldn't be able to move ever again. She could only breathe, blink, and speak. To anyone else the spell probably would have been fatal, but Maka was able to survive and could even use her tongue.

Kid was devastated. He had panicked when he saw Maka fall limply. He fought with everything he had and got the witch to retreat. The first chance he got Kid summoned Beelzebub and took off back to Death City with Maka in his arms.

It was much too late and the damage had been done. When Soul was told he simply shook his head, and Kid was sure a silent tear had escaped. But the cool guy turned away and left Kid standing there. Later he had to get a new partner, but to him, no one ever felt quite the same as Maka. Soul didn't visit much, but it was a good thing. Maka would probably break down emotionally if he did.

Kid didn't leave her side for more than five minutes at a time. The hospital room was quite dull, and Kid took it upon himself to ask Stein if she could stay at the Gallows Mansion instead.

At first the man seemed like he'd rather her not go, but then changed his mind. He told Kid that she could stay with him if several requirements were met:

1. Stein would visit once a week.

2. Maka would be watched constantly.

3. She stayed in bed (Or in a wheelchair if she needed to be moved.)

4. Absolutely no romance.

The last one was questionable, and Kid confronted Stein about it. The scientist explained that if her heart pumped too quickly, her condition could go from bad to worse. He didn't say much, which made the shinigami doubt it.

The next day, Kid had taken her to his home and got her settled. He moved around his room so there would be space for another bed. Stein had preached 'constant vigilance' after all.

In the same day the shinigami even went and stylized her wheelchair with girly decorations so it wasn't plain. Maka enjoyed that a lot; they were the type of things a boy would guess girls like, but in reality only toddlers could love fully.

Death the Kid tried his best to get Maka's mind off of the fact that she was crippled. He was pretty good at it; maybe even _too _good. Seriously, he was being too much of a gentleman, and it was starting to make her swoon.

Late at night, they would talk. Mostly about meaningless things, but sometimes about important stuff. Maka once commanded him to come to her bed. Kid had blushed profusely and questioned why. She only repeated the demand.

Hesitantly, the shinigami had gotten up and stood by the bed. It was obvious to Maka that he had moved based on his glowing eyes. Because of those orbs Maka had often told him to roll over so she could go to sleep since she couldn't turn away herself. It was always meant as a joke, but he seemed to feel guilty afterwards.

"You know…It's not your fault." Maka spoke up suddenly. She could see the shinigami's eyes narrowing slightly. He obviously didn't agree with her.

"…What are you talking about, Maka?" His voice sounded strained. Maka knew he had been hiding his feelings away, but didn't think it had come to this extent.

"I can see it in your eyes. Even now. You are blaming yourself for…me being like this. I knew what would happen when I took that hit, Kid. It's not your fault." If she could have moved, she would have comforted him and held him close, whispering soothing things until he was okay.

But such things were not reality. And it hurt not being able to console the ones you love properly. Wait, did she mean _love_?

"It _is _my fault, Maka. I should have foreseen it coming, or at the very least not let you take the spell. It wouldn't have done this to me. Why would you even do that? Why did you have to jump in front of me?"

"It's because I care about you. I couldn't let you take that blow knowing I could have prevented it. It's that witch's fault, if anyone. Okay? Don't beat yourself up over this, 'cause it will hurt me too." Maka attempted to reassure him.

"You…Care about me?" Kid sat on the edge of the bed, watching Maka. She blinked from the unexpected question.

"Of course I care about you! We're friends, after all." That stung. Kid knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up much, but still…

"_Just _friends? Nothing more?" He let his hand rest on hers. She couldn't feel it, thanks to her nerves being fried, but it was a nice reassurance to him. She couldn't even see in this darkness.

"Did that sound hopeful to you too?" Maka teased. Kid was putting a damper in the mood with his serious questions.

Kid blushed and chuckled nervously. "I suppose it did."

Maka sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to change the subject. "You know what? …If I could hug you right now, I would. But I can't, and we're not supposed to, right? …Didn't Professor Stein say that we couldn't do anything like that?"

Kid smirked and practically changed moods completely, "You were always a rule-follower. Stein was definitely not serious about that. He was probably getting laughs from the look on my face. You know how much of a sadist he is, what with all of those dissections."

Maka hesitated. Was that the truth? The honest truth? But what if Stein was serious about that restriction? Kid sounded so convincing. He wouldn't let anything happen…

And indeed, nothing did happen. But she never recovered from her injury. The reason Stein had restricted any sort of love was because if her heart did beat too much too often, her body would grow used to its new handicapped self and stop trying to heal the nerves. Which meant it was still a happy ending, somewhat, but with a hint of bitter sweetness.

What was the supposed 'lesson' learned for anybody who happened to come across their predicament? Would anyone else wait an unknown amount of time before they did anything with the one they loved? Maka knew that as long as she was with Kid, nothing would matter. She wouldn't have changed anything. (She doubted herself often, however.)


	12. Guilt

_Guilt_

What's wrong with me? I'm a cool death scythe going out with a nice girl, and I have awesome friends. So why do I feel this way?

I remember a while back when Maka asked _me_, Soul Eater Evans, out. It was right before we got the witch's soul needed for me to become Shinigami-sama's weapon. I tried to let her down easy, but it was hard. Being partners, I already knew that she'd be crushed.

A week later I asked Liz out on a date, (she always was kind of cute), and she accepted. We got close and I was positive I was in love. But then I started noticing Maka going out more often. Now that we had different missions we didn't talk as much as before.

One time I was headed over to the Gallows Mansion to surprise Liz, but ended up surprised instead. I had snuck in through the front door, intending to find my girlfriend on the couch doing her nails like usual, but I saw Maka instead. With Kid. Kissing.

I can only imagine what my face must've looked like. Probably the most uncool expression possible. Forgetting about my 'present' for Liz, I went home. I didn't want to _interrupt _them. Every time Maka went out, did she do that with Kid?

I would _bet _Black*Star one hundred dollars that Maka had gone to him for comfort after I rejected her. And then he took advantage of her. Yes, that was what must have happened. Maka was _my _partner after all.

The next day I went on another date with Liz. But I was off somewhere else mentally; right before leaving the apartment Maka told me she was going to the Gallows Mansion to ask _Kid _about the history of Death City. I knew Patty would be out somewhere with Crona, so they must have planned something. There was that excitement in her eyes; Maka may have been a bookworm, but she never got that look when talking about history. Never.

Several dates went by like that. I couldn't understand what Maka saw in the shinigami. Didn't she like me? She's_ supposed _to like me still! Didn't she know that partners were meant to be closer than family? Closer than lovers, even? If that were the case, she should be spending time with me, not Kid.

They still hadn't told everyone about their 'secret' relationship and I was losing it. Was it a fling? Were they in love? Did Maka miss me? So many questions were left unanswered and Liz was starting to notice my lack of attention.

Why was I so bothered by this stupid relationship? Maka's my partner; I should be happy that she found someone else. I mean, I rejected her already, so she can't be mine. What am I feeling?

I know I'm angry at Kid. Why did he have to take Maka? …I won't be the most important person to her anymore. That's what bothers me the most. Wait…Is this…

Is it jealously? I _am _jealous, aren't I? Me, Soul Eater, feeling this way about that beautiful brave bookworm. If I want to be in Kid's position, does that mean I'm in love?

Why didn't I feel this way before? WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING HERE?! I had feelings for Liz; I know it. But watching those two kiss is just…It's…Not fair. Maka should be mine. I want her to always love me and do that for me.

This is so stupid…Realizing this now…What am I supposed to do now? I obviously can't continue on like this. I think I have to break up with Liz.

And I did. I honestly didn't have the courage to go through with it, and almost did it through the phone. But I knew Maka wouldn't want that, and it wasn't cool. So I told her. She cried, but it couldn't be helped. Feelings are so uncool and confusing…

I can't break those two up. That would be wrong. But…It hurts to see them together. When we're out with friends, seeing them doing those innocent, friendly actions isn't cool because I can see the love behind them. Nobody else could notice. Black*Star…What I would do for _at least _you to understand.

It's eating me up inside. Those visits to his house were becoming more frequent and even longer. One time she even _stayed the night _and told me they had accidentally fell asleep while studying in the library.

All those late nights waiting for her to get home… I feel like her dad. She blows him off all the time, right? …I guess me and Spirit have something in common.

Isn't there somebody I can tell? I haven't gotten any sleep in days. It's been three months since I saw _them _lying there on the couch. I shouldn't be feeling this way. But I can't help it… IT'S NOT MY FAULT!

This must be some sort of trial; something I need to overcome to prove myself. Maybe this is all just a joke. Right. A bad dream. Maka still loves me, the cool guy. I just need to wake up. Kid and Maka aren't in love.

They told everyone today. And they're engaged. _They're getting married! _How could they keep their relationship a secret and then openly admit they're going to be spending their lives together? And to make matters _worse_, Maka told me that she was going to be living with Kid. They EVEN wanted me to be the best man. NO!

Their _perfect day _came. And she looked completely happy. He looked happy. _EVERYONE _looked happy. Why did I feel like this? It hurt just to smile. But I had to. For her.

I don't know if I can do this. Am I supposed to step aside and let the other guy get the girl? Am I supposed to be okay with her being happy with him?

What was with all those romance books Maka used to read aloud in her room? The best friend that was 'happy' that the girl was in love didn't even get his fairytale ending. Only the two in love. 'And they lived happily ever after.' What about ME? Am I going to be heartbroken for the rest of my life, not even worth half a page of a conclusion? NOT EVEN a _background character_ for me to fall in love with to spare me a cruel ending?

I would give anything to get rid of these feelings. Whoever came up with that quote 'you never know what you have until it's gone' was a genius. Was that what this was? Now that she was somebody else's I wanted her? Maybe it wasn't love, but obsession?

As if these feelings weren't punishment enough. I feel bad about them, as if I'm wronging somebody. And it's not even a guilty pleasure! It's a guilty _disturbance_!

What should I do…? It's already been a few years. And I still feel this way for Maka. They're having kids. I don't even bother to hide my depression to my friends anymore and I'm pretty sure that they've caught on.

But it doesn't matter. I've been cursed to deal with such evil circumstances. I've accepted it by now. I won't get my happy ever after. Not in this story.


	13. Chocolate

_Chocolate_

Maka adored chocolate. If there was such a thing as a chocoholic she would take the trophy hands down. But for some reason she never gained any weight. Perhaps it was all that exercising she had to do on a constant basis during missions.

Maka's perfect man would be the one who gave her chocolates. Yes, that was the only condition. Although it was free to change and ultimately the decision would be hers, the man definitely had to like sweets.

Soul was the only one who knew about her undying love for chocolate. When he found out, he had considered it uncool and said he wouldn't tell anyone since it wasn't his business anyway, but he seemed surprised.

But even the best of us slip up sometimes. Soul's good friend, Kid, apparently had a crush on the other meister. The albino was getting so tired of hearing the shinigami's constant talking of Maka that he would do anything to shut him up. He actually went so far as to commanding him to buy her chocolates. Soul told him it was a sure way to get her heart.

Kid had initially doubted him, but he seemed to be one hundred percent certain. A couple of weeks later, Kid's mail arrived. _Finally_, the super expensive chocolates from France had come. _Soul had better be right about this, or I'll send him to an early grave._ Kid didn't even want to think about how much these had cost.

But that meant today was the day. If giving chocolate to her wasn't obvious enough, he would have to spell out his feelings. Kid was really hoping Maka would get the hint, but something told him she wouldn't.

_Well_, Kid reasoned, _Maybe I can give them to her tonight. Yeah, nobody's going anywhere. _Content with his decision, he went about his day. The agenda was to check over his mansion's symmetry, school (can you even call the DWMA that?), a meeting with Chichiue, and then some extra shinigami training.

It was all rather tiring, but the thought of seeing Maka helped him through it. Kid's meeting with his father took longer than anticipated (he just wouldn't let up about if Kid had found someone he liked!), so he had to cut off most of the training. The most important event couldn't be shortened, no matter what.

Liz had questioned his inability to keep focus throughout the practice. Perhaps he was acting differently than normal. Just how did he act normally, anyway?

"I'm fine, Liz. You should be paying more attention to yourself. The fact that you are asking me this proves that you aren't focusing on your soul wavelength." He was surprised at how easily he could move the accusation off of himself. Had he always been this good at it?

"Yeah…" Needless to say, she didn't mention it again. Kid almost felt guilty at being so harsh. But he couldn't have anybody being suspicious too soon. If he told someone of his plan (excluding Soul) then it would be that much harder to deal with rejection. On the other hand, if Maka did want to go out with him but wanted the relationship to be a secret, it would already be too late.

After the training, Kid dropped Liz and Patty off at home and stealthily snuck the chocolates out. He had mentioned the fact that he was going over to Soul's apartment for a video game, which was half of the truth. He _was _going to Soul's place, but for Maka instead.

To say Kid was nervous was an understatement. Would it be strange to show up at 7 o'clock bearing chocolates for someone? (He almost turned around because of the time.) He tried to swallow his anxiety but instead gained butterflies. Maybe he could come back another time.

_No. The chocolates won't be good later,_ Kid reasoned, _And I know how expensive those are. _He shuddered. Chichiue may have a fortune, but Kid didn't have quite so much. Shinigami-sama gave him something like an 'allowance,' but about one hundred times the amount regular children got. He was just about broke after purchasing from the most famous confectioner, Alfred Fleury, who demanded his 'perfection' be paid properly. But Kid would gladly pay for it once more if it got him Maka.

And thus Maka dominated his thoughts. Her attractive features…That alluring look in her eyes when she was determined about something… That adorably angry pout she did when Soul called her a bookworm… Kid wanted to get hit with that Maka-chop as hard as he got hit with that arrow of love. …Maybe he was getting too carried away in his fantasies. But seriously, he wanted to get hit by that book of hers, even if it would hurt. He didn't know why.

Perhaps it was the door in front of his face that brought him back to reality. Or maybe it was his hand jovially already preparing to knock. His nervousness returned. Was she still awake? Before he lost his nerve, Kid hit the wood a few times. He was already regretting it.

There was no answer. Anxiously, he knocked once more. Still no noise. What if something had happened? Kid decided that he should check. He opened the door, which was oddly unlocked, and spoke into the dark apartment.

"Maka? Soul? Are you two in here?" No reply. Kid glanced around. His special shinigami eyes gave him better sight than most people, and he could see light under a door. Kid moved into the room and fumbled around in the darkness, making sure not to trip over anything.

Finally, he was by the door in which the light was penetrating. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have remembered it was Maka's room. However, he wasn't, and therefore entered unknowingly. He even forgot to knock.

Maka was lying in her bed snugly, obviously reading a book. And, judging by her expression, it was a very good book. But that wasn't what Kid had noticed first; she was wearing really cute pajamas _and _her hair was down.

She turned her head at the disturbance, expecting to see Soul standing there, and was clearly surprised to see Kid instead. He tried to hide his blush from the adorable display, but didn't do so well. _Dying of cuteness right now…!_

"What are you doing here, Kid?" She asked confusedly. He hid his gift behind himself.

"Oh, Maka! Fancy seeing you here…I was just…uh…looking for Soul! I knocked on the door and didn't hear an answer, so I thought that maybe something had happened and the light was off too. When I saw an illumination under the door, I thought that maybe Soul was in here." Kid finished smoothly.

Maka blinked. "He didn't tell you? Soul went to play basketball with Black*Star again tonight and said he probably wouldn't be coming back until the morning."

_Sly fox…He knew I was planning on giving Maka these chocolates today. _Kid couldn't help but feel grateful to his friend. Soul was more helpful than credited for.

"Is that so? Well…Do you mind if I stay here with you? Liz wanted me out of the house for a while anyway, so I sort of have a free evening." Kid wasn't sure who had taken control of his voice. Surely she would say no to such a question!

"Sure. But wouldn't you rather play basketball? I was planning on getting some reading in," Maka lifted her book to show Kid the cover. _Seeing Souls: the Shinigami Edition _was clearly written in bold letters over the top. The background was black and eyes similar to Kid's own were reflected back at him.

Sheepishly, Maka continued before Kid could say anything, "I've been trying to learn more about how some people can see souls while others can't. This book happened to be the next in the series…I feel pretty weird to be reading this and have a shinigami walk in on me like you just did." She laughed angelically.

"No, I don't like playing basketball. And that is weird." Kid walked in and closed the door behind him. He sat down on the floor beside Maka's bed. She hadn't noticed the package.

Maka smiled at him warmly, probably enjoying Kid's presence, and his heart picked up speed. They were alone, in her bedroom, at night…Kid tried to banish such thoughts, but it was hard to ignore.

"T-This is for you." Kid placed the chocolates on the bed in front of her. The fact that he had shown her the present revealed huge holes in his story of coming to see Soul, but she didn't seem to notice.

"What is it? You don't have to give me anything…" Maka looked at him apologetically.

"I know…But open it, okay?" He urged, and she did. When she saw the contents, her entire face lit up.

"Chocolate? Oh wow, that's nice of you, but I don't know if I can accept this…It looks expensive…" Her expression once again took on a remorseful look.

"It's fine. I got it for you, so I'd be sad if you didn't take it. Go on, taste one." Maka slowly took out a piece, and upon making sure once again that it was okay, she popped it into her mouth. Kid watched with undivided attention.

It was the most delicious chocolate Maka had ever eaten. It was smooth, creamy, and left a taste in your mouth long after you swallowed. If it was possible to fall in love with someone in about a minute, Maka had just done it.

"…Wow…" Maka looked at Kid with a very happy and pleased visage, "Taste it." She took another piece of chocolate and pushed it into Kid's mouth before he could object. Yes, the chocolate did taste good, but Kid was more aware of Maka's finger touching his lips.

"Isn't it delicious?" Maka smirked at him and he blushed. It was obvious, and she wondered if he got this chocolate because he liked her. Kid nodded in response to the question, not trusting his mouth at the moment.

"How about we try something different?" Maka asked and put another chocolate in her mouth. She then, out of nowhere, kissed Kid. It was very sudden, and the shinigami wondered if this was real life. It was a very 'sweet-filled' kiss, and both parties enjoyed it very much. That chocolate really was worth every dollar Kid had paid for it.


	14. Pet

_Pet_

I don't know who I am, where I came from, or anything of that sort. All I am is a stray. A dog. I remember having a family, but they cast me aside when I accidentally broke a really expensive vase or something like that.

I really did like that family. They had called me 'Death' because my fur was black and white in some places. Even after being thrown out like the trash I kept that nickname and the collar. I had once seen a cat get taken by strange people in a van before because he didn't have one.

Perhaps it was time to leave them behind. The loyalty that reigned in my thoughts told me not to, but I was getting hungry. Very hungry. It was clear that they weren't going to open the front door for me. But I waited a week, eating from garbage cans, for them to apologize and take me back. It didn't happen.

Once I had gotten sick of eating plastic and was lonely enough to stop eating altogether, I left. A disgrace to dog-kind. But I didn't feel like a dog at all. Something…different.

I couldn't count on my paws just how many times I stole from that hot dog stand run by the man with red hair. He always gave chase, which was rather enjoyable, and I did get away with a full stomach. Usually other animals living on the street tried to intimidate me, but I could easily scare them away.

My heart was growing more and more distant, and colder. I was becoming every human's worst nightmare; Death itself. I was sure I was living up to that name well, but had yet to actually take another life.

But even so, like a grim reaper, my hatred for humans grew. They did nothing for me but shoo me away. Not once did one give me a snack. Or a home. Or love. Nothing. All they did give was indifference to my life. Humans think they're better than us animals. Che.

One time, those twin Siamese cats were planning to use their appearance to gain some sympathy from the humans and get a home at long last. Cats are stupid. They want homes, but when they have one they act like they'd rather be out in the streets. Hypocrites.

I still don't know who I am, but I've become the master of the outdoors. The big boss of the animals. I've told those strays that I am 'Death the Dog,' and of course they would bow down to me. I killed a chicken to prove it. I had never felt more…alive. But at the same time, it felt evil.

I led many missions with them, and the main objective was to steal food. All times were successful, until our last one together.

Our target was a teenage girl carrying bags full of groceries. She looked sad, but I didn't care. She was human, so that meant she hated us. We needed to carry out revenge against those wretched things.

Everything was going smoothly, all my companions were snapping at those plastic bags. I was supposed to distract her from taking them back. The most dangerous task.

My paws were already moving as I nipped at her heel. Like I expected she turned around to look at whoever did that and saw me. She had a strange look in her eyes and I just…froze.

The other animals were beckoning me over to them from a corner, but before I could make it to them that girl picked me up. I struggled immediately, telling her to let me go.

"You look just like him…" She whispered and stared at me sadly. I glared at her as hard as I could, and even contemplated biting her hand.

"Do they call you Death?" My glare turned into a curious look. I nodded once. I don't know why the other animals say they can't understand what the humans speak, because I can hear it perfectly.

"Death…Let's go home." She smiled at me. Was this the one those cats spoke of? "_You'll know when you see the one who is your true owner_," they had said. But still, humans only take you in to kick you out again. As a warning, I opened my mouth and put it on her finger. I gave a little pressure, but not enough to draw blood.

She only smiled, and I did bite. But she didn't pull away. Was I weak? Were my teeth not sharp enough? Instead, she used her other hand to pet me and she began walking away from my partners.

_Don't you care about the food you just lost? _I watched over her shoulder and saw the other animals eating, not caring that I was getting dognapped. But her fingers felt nice in my fur. It felt wrong for me to get treated like I hadn't ever done anything to hurt someone; like I was an innocent puppy.

At some point we were in a house. Or apartment, rather. She closed the door behind us and set me down on a couch. I was already formulating an escape plan and thinking of how I should punish those strays for abandoning me.

She sat down and put me on her lap. I gave her another warning look but did nothing. She pet me and showed me a picture of some human boy that, oddly, shared some similar features as me.

"That's Death the Kid. Doesn't he look just like you? The black and white hair, your yellow eyes, that skull-looking spot on your chest…And you're even called 'Death,' right?" She had a hopeful look in her eyes. Did she think that I was him?

Perhaps she would feed me if she thought so. Maybe give me shelter. I planned to take advantage of her, and nodded.

"You know…He passed away while saving me…Do you think…maybe…That you are him?" She stopped petting me while waiting for an answer.

I looked her in the eyes and slowly tilted my head to show a 'yes.' I really was evil. If she found out that I wasn't who she thought I was…

"Really? If that's true, then I'll call you 'Death the Dog' since you are a dog. And do you remember me? I'm Maka Albarn if you don't. You can live here with me!" She gushed out happily. Maka continued to talk and talk about everything I could think of. I reached up with both of my front paws and closed her mouth.

I gave her a look that should have explained what I was thinking. _Be quiet. You're too loud. _

My cold heart slowly melted around her. The way she acted towards me after I told her I was that boy in the picture really showed me how much she loved him. I thrived in that affection and found over time that I loved her too. She really was that one special owner.

But I wasn't him. I was Death the Dog. I didn't know who I was or anything about myself, but I knew I couldn't have been him in a past life. It was ridiculous.

However, Maka seemed to believe it. At night she would always pat her bed and ask me to join her. Of course I would accept, (the bed is really comfortable), and she would hug me all night.

She often spoke about that guy and her friends to me. They held a big place in her heart. I hoped I had one too. I felt bad for all of the strays who thought all humans were evil, and how they were out in the cold while I was cuddled up with the kindest one. I often wanted to show them how wonderful this love could be, but found that I wanted it all for myself.

I really wasn't Death the Kid. Just a stray with a strange fur pattern. But I really did love that girl. Perhaps it was wrong to impersonate him. But she was happy to have supposedly found him again.

What he didn't know was that he was him.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: I'm sorry to have taken so long! I have about five different one-shots for this collection right now, but I didn't like them so I had to keep starting over... And I've been really busy this past week, so I hope you can forgive me! Also, I understand that this one wasn't really all that KiMa-ish, but I was in a hurry... Once again, I'm sorry!)**


	15. Coward

_Coward_

Kid couldn't believe what he had done. He panicked when he saw that witch and he just…ran. There was no thinking involved. His mind had shut off by itself and went into survival mode.

It wasn't on purpose. Kid didn't want to leave Maka there with only her weapon partner, but things were going too fast. He didn't recognize the fact that he had bolted until he was back in Death City.

Why did he have to be so…afraid to die? Surely a _shinigami _wouldn't be thinking about such things. It was too _ironic._ Kid knew that his father would be so terribly disappointed, and there was nothing worse than that. _Especially_ from someone so happy all the time.

But that wasn't the worst of it. If it had been anyone else he had left behind, _anyone _but Maka, he would have been fine. Kid had prided himself with being in love with her; but what kind of sane human...no… _living thing _abandoned the object of their affection?

_It's not my fault_, he reasoned, trying to rid himself of the guilt, _I couldn't have done anything. _But it was such a big lie that Kid couldn't even fool himself.

At the time Liz and Patty had been screaming at him to go back, that maybe Maka and Soul would need their help. He didn't pay attention. They loved him like a brother, and were obviously mad at him. But they did not leave his side.

A couple of dreadfully long days had passed, and Maka returned. She was successful in her mission, but Kid avoided all of their friends purposefully. He was ashamed of himself, and only spoke to the Thompson sisters. But even though they were on his side, they were still frustrated with him. It was obvious.

Kid was summoned to the Death Room. He wasn't in class, no, he had skipped today. He was afraid again. Would his father scold him for his cowardice? Maybe he would even disown him. But such thoughts were simply the result of a panicked mind.

Shinigami-sama did want to discuss the mission. Apparently he had heard from Soul about what had happened. There was the cutting disappointment evident in his tone that Kid was afraid of, but there was also understanding. Whether or not it was fake didn't bother Kid, he was consoled with the thought that his father wouldn't be disowning him. That was another thing he had prided himself with: being Shinigami-sama's son.

"Kiddo…" His voice didn't hold the usual bounciness it had on a normal basis, "You're a teenager. You're bound to be confused with who you are, who you're going to be, and girls too. A shinigami has more noticeable stages during his maturing, and it can cause some havoc. I know this first-hand, son." Shinigami-sama raised a large hand threateningly when Kid opened his mouth to object.

"I can tell you have a crush on Maka. No-no, I'm not going to scold you for what you did, so don't get that look on your face! If you really do like her, then you need to show her, Kiddo. You proved yourself to be undependable, which is not a good trait to have, son. I remember having to win your mother over as well." His voice held slight amusement.

"Really?" Kid questioned, curious to hear about his mom. It wasn't often that Shinigami-sama opened up about her, and even when he did, it was awfully vague and unsatisfying.

"Yes. But that's a story for another time. Maka is who we need to be talking about! How deeply do you like her? And for how long?"

"D-Dad!" Kid blushed and stuttered out indignantly. His father was always good at talking about embarrassing topics with ease.

Shinigami-sama chuckled. "I'm sorry. But please do answer the questions! I need to know about my son's love life, you know."

Still blushing a bit, Kid spoke, "I don't know. I think I've liked her since that end-of-year dance when she dressed up…" He was obviously remembering what she was wearing as he got a dreamy expression.

"I see. That was quite some time ago. Perhaps this is a love you'd like to pursue," Kid glared at his father but he didn't seem to notice, "You need to make up for that incident. I know that you panicked, and you didn't mean to Kiddo, but you do need to correct that. … I think we'll come up with a situation that you'll come in and save Maka!" Shinigami-sama bounced in happiness.

"I don't know, Chichiue…I haven't even seen her since that time." He said undecidedly.

"It's sure to work, Kiddo! Now, move along to class. Ohh, I know! We'll have my absolute _worst_ enemy show up. I'll give you the details later." Shinigami-sama shooed off his son with his big, gloved hands. When Kid was finally out of sight, he laughed.

"I can't _wait _to see the look on his face…!"

* * *

Kid was shaking slightly. This plan was absolutely ridiculous! Maybe he should forget this whole thing before he made a fool of himself once again. An idea such as this was only possible to be thought up by Shinigami-sama himself.

He summoned Beelzebub—it would be needed shortly. As Chichiue put it, Kid would be 'sweeping her off her feet,' literally. Supposedly, Shinigami-sama had said, that was exactly what this situation needed.

Kid shuffled nervously. He was waiting for his cue to take off. He heard a sound of impact, (Shinigami-sama must've chopped the ground), and then saw it: a blink of light from Patty in weapon-form. Liz was waving her so it was impossible to miss.

Kid jumped onto Beelzebub and took off into the street despite his racing heart. He was afraid of many things—Maka falling to certain death, not being able to hold her, and even her rejecting his help.

Indeed, the crack in the ground was enough to make Maka trip. Shinigami-sama must have been exaggerating how much power he would use—Chichiue had promised a fear-inducing and dangerous enemy that would seem necessary to be saved from, but a little crack? He _had _to be joking.

Nonetheless, Kid sped up and caught her bridle-style. Maka blinked; probably surprised that she hadn't hit the ground.

"Is that you, Kid?" Maka stared up at him oddly, and Kid felt strangely self-conscious. He simply nodded; a question such as that did not call for an audible answer.

"I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I just tripped." Maka glanced to the side as if to confirm the fact that she was indeed in the air.

"I, um, saved you." The girl in his arms was a lot lighter than Kid expected. Or perhaps he had underestimated his strength.

"Thanks…Well, this is actually good. I've been meaning to talk to you but it's almost like you've been avoiding me." A sheepish smile appeared on her face while Kid panicked. What did she want to say? That she never wanted to see him ever again?

Maka continued, "If that's true, and that you are upset about that mission, don't worry about it. Soul and I are a good team, and we can make it out of anything. I would have been angry at you if I didn't have a weapon partner, but that's beside the point. Anyway, it's normal to panic when you're startled. But I still want to be friends with you."

Kid blinked once. Then twice. And then a third time for good measure. Did he hear her right? She still wanted to be friends with him after he was such a coward? Kid would have been happy to hear this if two words hadn't been dancing in his mind: _just friends._

"That would be wonderful." Kid replied with a ghost of a smile. His thoughts were racing around, and his brain was starting to malfunction under the pressure. And thus an uncomfortable silence ensued.

"Say, Maka…Do you have a crush on anyone?" _What a cowardly roundabout way of hinting at your feelings_, Kid thought bitterly. _What's wrong with me?_

"Well…yes," Maka admitted with a blush, "But I don't think he feels the same way."

"I'm sure he does. You should just tell him." Kid was hoping she would confess to him, but it was highly unlikely. Even if she did have feelings for him, he would feel like such an idiot making her act on them first. Not to mention how much he didn't deserve them!

"How do you tell someone how you feel? …I haven't done it before." Maka fidgeted nervously. The cold wind was making her shiver as well. Just how far were they going to go on that skateboard?

"Actions speak louder than words." Kid said expertly. He had heard the quote before, but couldn't remember where it came from. It was highly overused, however.

Maka's expression turned into one of thoughtfulness. Kid tried to appear more interested in steering Beelzebub back to Death City—they had gotten more off course than intended and were currently in the desert.

Out of nowhere, Maka leaned up and pecked Kid's lips. The fact that only one of her hands was touching his was driving him crazy, but he didn't feel like correcting it at the moment. He was too much of a coward.

* * *

"Shinigami-sama…" Liz spoke quietly, "Didn't you say 'your worst enemy' would be in our plan?"

He bounced up and down a few times, "Of course, and it was!" Liz stared at him skeptically; her eyes practically forcing him to explain.

"Cracks in the ground, Liz. They always, always, _always _make me trip! I hate them so much, and they're everywhere! In fact, I need to go and get someone to seal this one up before I accidentally break someone's back!"

Patty broke into a laughing fit, "Hahaha! You step on a crack, you break your momma's back!" She rolled on the ground.

"…Oh Patty, not you too…" Liz face-palmed.


	16. Double Date

_Double Date_

Whose bright idea was this? No one actually remembered the origin of this absolutely _horrid _proposal. Even _Black*Star_ could feel the awkward seeping into his very being!

Despite whoever came up with it, the reality was this: they were on a double date. Kid and Maka as a couple, and Black*Star with Tsubaki. (They had finally confessed to each other while in a bouncy castle a few weeks back. The details were never uncovered; Black*Star would always get this smirk on his face and Tsubaki would blush uncontrollably.)

Anyway, they had gone to a movie and lunch. The film was great, fun even, but the lunch… Not so much. The thing was that _now _they actually had to talk, whereas beforehand they were not expected to communicate.

"Umm…What's taking our waitress so long?" Maka attempted to start a conversation. Kid couldn't stop the little smile that appeared on his face at the poor choice of topic.

"I'm not sure." Tsubaki commented truthfully. The conversation had been effectively killed with those few words.

After some more agonizingly painful minutes, (why wasn't Black*Star doing what he was best at?) the waitress finally arrived.

"I'm sorry for the wait!" She smiled warmly at the group.

"Mrs. Marie?" Maka questioned curiously. A teacher as your waitress! If they hadn't felt awkward already, they definitely felt it now.

"Oh dear…" Mrs. Marie seemed to feel rather uncomfortable herself.

"Why are you working as a waitress here? I'd expect you'd be busy being a Death Scythe or helping out Professor Stein now that you're married." Kid stared at her incredulously. Both Black*Star and Tsubaki were chatting with each other on the other side of the table; probably to escape the air.

"Yes, well, you see…" Mrs. Marie took on a lecture tone, "Stein has been very busy lately at the DWMA and exceedingly more so in his lab, and I was looking for something to do with my free time. With the madness levels dropping, I was able to take some time off…Are you all here for a double date?"

Black*Star and Tsubaki snapped to attention at those words. Maka blushed slightly and Kid snickered a bit at her reaction. She had responded to that in turn by hitting him in the arm playfully.

Tsubaki was left to answer Mrs. Marie's question. "Um, yes. We are having a double date."

Mrs. Marie smiled knowingly and strangely…motherly. All of her students were adorable, but some of them really stood out, and these four were definitely in that lot. Throughout Asura's revival she had gotten much too close to all of these children and sometimes felt like they were her own. They most definitely weren't, however.

"Oh!" Suddenly remembering herself, Mrs. Marie blushed self-consciously, "I almost forgot! What would you all like to drink and eat? I'm sure you had a chance to look over the menu already."

"ME AND TSUBAKI WOULD LIKE CLUB SANDWICHES AND COKE!" Black*Star shouted, ending all conversations in the restaurant. Both Kid and Maka face-palmed in sync, which was rather comical to say the least.

"Right." Mrs. Marie wrote it down swiftly and turned to the other couple, probably trying to ignore the stares. Black*Star reveled in them, but everyone went back to talking amongst themselves shortly.

"And you two?" The waitress glanced up casually. Kid had gathered all of the menus (ensuring the symmetry of the stack, obviously) and spoke up for his girlfriend.

"We would both like chicken-caesar wraps and sweet tea." Kid looked back at Maka uncertainly, "Right?" She smiled and rested her hand on his.

"Right."

Black*Star glared at the 'picture-perfect' couple. They were stealing the spotlight! Tsubaki was able to calm him, however, and Mrs. Marie disappeared into the kitchen after promising to return shortly.

It wasn't as awkward as it had been before. The couples respectfully kept to themselves with the occasional comment or question to the other two, but it was nice.

Kid and Maka were both talking casually about how a romantic relationship between a weapon and meister would affect missions. And while that may seem very non-romantic, there were many loving gestures during it, but not enough to seem discourteous in public.

Black*Star didn't hold these same values. At some point or another he and Tsubaki started making out. When the other couple (and pretty much everyone in the room) noticed, everything became ten times more_ awkward_.

Maka blushed and tried to continue her conversation with Kid, but her eyes kept making their way back to the immoral display. Kid found it rather funny, actually, and pulled out his wallet to leave money for what they ordered.

"Maka, want to ditch?" He smiled at her charmingly, and Maka remembered all over why she fell for him.

"Yeah, they probably won't notice that we left until Mrs. Marie comes back," Maka laughed at her own joke and Kid helped her out of her seat.

Indeed, Black*Star and Tsubaki only continued their…session. Both Maka and Kid were able to easily sneak away unnoticed and Mrs. Marie didn't even show up until they were long gone.

"That was some double date, huh?" Maka grimaced at the memory as they walked down the street.

"Yeah, it was certainly something." Kid commented, looking just as uncomfortable with the thought. He was holding her hand gingerly.

"Do you remember who suggested it? Let's never do what he or she says again." Maka joked with a squeeze of his hand.

"You know…" Kid couldn't help but smile, "I think it was _you _who subjected us to such a scene. You and Black*Star, I'm pretty sure."

"Really?" Maka blinked, but it didn't help jog her memory in the least. Kid only nodded with a laugh.

"So I shouldn't 'do what you say' ever again, right?" Maka punched him in the arm with a huff.

"That's not funny…I was only joking when I said that." She stuck her tongue out at him and purposefully closed one eye; she knew it would annoy him.

"You shouldn't stick your tongue out like that…It may give someone_ indecent_ thoughts."

Maka immediately withdrew her tongue and scowled at him. Kid burst out laughing; she was too cute!

She fumed angrily until he finally calmed down, and even then she held a grudge. If she had a book with her she would have hit him _hard_.

"Lighten up, I wasn't serious…Well…I _was_ serious, but it was meant to be a joke." Kid was still smirking.

"What do you mean by that?" Maka narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She never had much tolerance to perverts, and that wasn't going to change any time soon.

"Haha, nothing…" Kid blushed and said no more. Maka was thinking about not letting him off the hook, but decided to give him a break.

"So what are we going to do now?" She changed the subject casually. They hadn't really been walking in any set direction, and she didn't want to go too far away from home.

"How about we copy Black*Star and Tsubaki?" Kid asked eagerly, and Maka understood immediately, blushing. She nodded mutely.

And they did follow Black*Star's lead.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Shorter than I would have liked, but I think it was rather satisfying. However, I'm not the judge here :P I hope you all liked it and continue to follow this collection of KiMa! See you next time! :D)**


	17. Forbidden Lovers

_Forbidden Lovers (AU)_

"Please…Kid, don't leave me…" Maka whispered almost inaudibly, squinting to see him in the darkness. After these events he always needed to go to work. She shouldn't have even asked; it was an unspoken agreement between the two of them.

"You know I have to." He slowly pulled his white long-sleeve shirt back on. It always happened like this.

"But why?" Maka clutched the bed's sheets to her chest. She asked that same question every night, and would always receive the same answer.

"I'm a shinigami. My work takes place at night." Kid turned to face her and was buttoning his shirt. His golden eyes shone brightly in the shadows.

"Surely you could wait a little longer. _Please_." She hadn't always been so darn _pathetic_ and _weak_, but time wears everyone down; no one is safe from it.

"No one can know of us. If my father knew I was interacting with a human…And if anybody in your world knows that shinigami actually exist…" He let the rest hang in the air. When this had first started, when they _first _began spending time together at night, Kid had made sure she knew how it would work.

Shinigami weren't to be with humans in any way, shape, or form. It was unheard of. They were immortal death gods, and humans…well, shinigami took their lives. It was simple: humans didn't know about them until their time of passing. It was quite the entertaining thought.

"No one is going to know. I want you to stay…Every night you knock on my window and we _do _things, but we never talk…" Maka felt the tears sting at her eyes. She wanted to be in love; the kind in which you could be foolish and have dates and introduce your parents…

"You knew how we would do this. And you also know about all the stress I get while trying to live up to my father's expectations." Kid slipped his belt on his dress pants. He was always wearing formal attire.

"_Yes_, I know, but there must be something you can do! I love you." Maka pulled the sheets even closer to her form; she had often confessed her heartfelt feelings to him, but he had always brushed them off.

Kid sighed, "Why do you always make this so hard? They'll kill you. I know it." He stepped into his shoes.

"I don't care about that; I only care about you." Maka bit her tongue, hard. Now, she had never gotten this far into the conversation. She was now forced to come up with what to say.

"…I need to go." Kid simply grabbed his jacket off of the floor and made his way to the window. Maka jumped up from the bed and rushed after him, the sheets falling unceremoniously on the ground.

She snaked her arms around his back and rested them on his chest, "Please…"

"Didn't you save your friends by being brave? I don't see that right now." He said harshly, but didn't shake her off.

"Yes, I did, but that has nothing to do with this. If I don't try to keep you here I know that you won't stay. And while I can be brave, it's wearing me down. I _need _you to stay. Do it for me." She mumbled into his back.

Kid sighed again. He turned around and held her back by the shoulders; staring imploringly into her own eyes. "You have to understand. Simply coming here is a risk and it's getting harder every night. My symmetry excuses are slowly being doubted. I have half a mind to end this right now…"

Maka gazed into his eyes with just as much ferocity, "You won't. You wouldn't take risks without good reason, and it'd be meaningless to stop now. That's why you always leave; because you're afraid."

His eyes narrowed dangerously and his grip on Maka's shoulders tightened considerably. He absolutely _hated _being ridiculed. "Afraid for you. You're too damn reckless sometimes. Like right now. I don't like having to leave, but I have to. Or would you rather spend some time with me on the stake?"

She flinched from his cruel words. He often said too much when he was insulted. "I can't help that. And besides, you don't like those timid, normal girls, do you?"

His ghost of a smile came off as menacing. Obviously she was correct in that assumption. "My father is probably wondering where I am."

"Can't you just…say you spent the night somewhere? It wouldn't be a lie." Maka pleaded. Kid kissed her suddenly, and she melted into it. He could always shut her up effectively.

It didn't last long. He pulled away and whispered, "I can't. See you tomorrow."

Before Maka could protest, Kid was gone. The only trace that was left of his existence was the open window and the gentle breeze rustling the curtains.

She sighed and moved over to shut the windows. Maka never knew how he could survive a drop from a three flights up, but she figured being a shinigami had something to do with it. Perhaps he had some sort of flying device?

But that didn't matter. She had been unsuccessful once again. He _never _listened to her. Maka always did what he asked and then some, but he simply would not stay. She hadn't ever met any other shinigami, and honestly didn't have any fear of them, but Kid wouldn't hear of it.

She laid back down, lonely in the cold, unforgiving bed. This wasn't the first time it had happened. He always left her alone. Always.

* * *

Kid rode Beelzebub in silent contemplation. He wished Maka wouldn't make him feel so guilty every time he had to go. It wasn't fair; there was absolutely no way he could stay the night. His father would know—His father always knew about everything. It was only a matter of time…

_No. I'll do whatever I can to protect her. Even if she doubts it._ He tried to shake the bad thoughts out, but it was only logical. What was he to do?

Kid had initially thought that Maka would be perfectly fine with secrecy, but over the weeks she's proven otherwise. And he didn't know how to tell her just how _bad _this situation could get.

At first, Maka had just been an attractive human that caught his attention, but now… He was afraid of how he felt. Perhaps, it could even be love. But he couldn't compare it to anything to actually tell if it really was that feeling, but if he had to guess…

She doubted him. All of his feelings, the threat of being killed…Even whether or not he existed. Kid could tell these things were on her mind by just one glance. She was like those books she so loved: easy to read.

But that was all well and good. The worst part of it was the possibility of _her _leaving _him._ It was ridiculous when imagining how often he had jumped out of her window. If he ended his nightly visits, he would surely never see her again. But if he were to make his nightly visits obvious, then she would be killed and thus, he wouldn't see her again.

He was backed into a corner, and there really wasn't a good conclusion. But he was okay with being forbidden lovers. He wasn't so sure about Maka though.


	18. Bravery

_Bravery_

Bravery. With that simple trait, Maka was able to defeat the almighty Kishin Asura and save her friends from certain death. What made it even more impressive was the fact that Shinigami-sama himself could not hope to beat that monster.

Needless to say, she was rather well-known in Death City afterwards. And while the attention wasn't unwelcomed, it was beginning to get annoying. There was only so much a girl could take; even if it was Maka.

She found herself avoiding the main streets and taking paths down alleyways to avoid all the people. It was darker, and, to put it frankly, scarier, but it was also quiet, and that was just what Maka had wanted.

On this particularly dark night, the sky a velvety black, Maka was on her way home from a stroll. Often times she needed to get out to clear her mind, and tonight was one of those instances. The reason she took to the alleys on these walks was simply because Death City was always bustling with life, despite whatever time it happened to be.

There was something rather…different. Yes, there was definitely something amiss. Maka looked around cautiously and then repeated the action with soul perception. No witch souls. At least as far as she could tell.

She wasn't scared. There wasn't anything to be afraid of. Maka was the number one meister (she liked to think) in the Death Weapon Meister Academy and she could easily defend herself without Soul. Maka was able to do more and more missions without a weapon, and thus her skills in combat had increased dramatically.

Maka shivered; did she hear whispering? No, it was just the wind rustling past. It was aware of the sun and moon's unspoken joke, and obviously felt the need to mock others with its soft spoken words. No one could understand exactly what they meant.

She was familiar with the feeling that now had its light grip on her soul. _Fear_. Maka had very much gotten acquainted with that most troublesome emotion during her one on one fight against the Kishin.

The only way one could infer that Maka was feeling the least bit scared was by the sweat that trickled down her forehead ever so slowly. The rest of her complexion was completely normal.

There weren't any witches around, and there most certainly wasn't anybody with a soul around. That much was obvious to Maka. But could someone be using Soul Protect?

She prodded the thought as she continued to walk down the narrow passage. If Maka kept this same pace then she'd be at her apartment in fifteen minutes. Not that far; she could make it.

The wind blew harsher than before, its words lost on Maka. Its own breath left her shivering more often than earlier, and it was obvious to any spectators that she was freezing.

"…If there really is someone out there…" Maka muttered to herself. Fear only made her more apprehensive and, strangely, enticed her bravery into life.

Only the wind replied mockingly. But she could feel someone else's presence, even though they attempted to hide it. Definitely not a witch. Could it possibly be an enhanced version of Soul Protect, but not for a witch?

Perhaps. She occasionally glanced to the side to make sure someone wasn't there. This was too much. As if all the attention in the streets wasn't enough, now she had stalkers in the alleys? Seriously?

Maka sighed and stopped walking. Whoever this creeper was it was high time to scare him off.

"Whoever you are, it'd be in your best interest to show yourself. Otherwise, I can't be held responsible for what I do to you. After all, it's reasonable enough to attack you for hiding your soul and sneaking about in the alleys of Death City."

"...Couldn't the same be said to you?" The voice spoke hesitantly from her right, and Maka turned to see who it was. But that wasn't the question boring into her skull when she saw him.

"...How did you hide your soul? It's certainly not a witch's." Her hands automatically went to her hips in an aggressive manner, "You and I both know that the spell for Soul Protect is only known by witches."

Kid avoided her questioning gaze as he answered, "I know. Chichiue taught me a different technique that resembles Soul Protect."

Maka's brow furrowed further and she walked closer to him so they wouldn't disturb the peace of the night or the wind's own jokes aimed to the moon.

"I don't understand. Why would you even be here?" Only when she figured she was at a close enough proximity did she stop and cross her arms.

"Would you rather it be a drunken stranger who happened to be here with you?" He evasively dodged the question.

"Of course not! I'm glad it was you, but that doesn't answer me. Is something asymmetrical on me that made you want to fix it? Everyone knows about your OCD." Maka grinned a bit, seeming to have found the answer to her own question.

And while it was tempting to grasp upon that lie, he couldn't. "No…I saw you head off into the alley and was rather worried about you. In some situations it doesn't matter how brave you are." Kid's eyes were still trained upon the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Maka shifted her weight onto her other foot, impatient to get home, "I can beat anyone who happens to show up here."

"But what if it was a grown man? Someone of the opposite sex?" He still hadn't moved an inch since Maka had seen him, and the only thing actually showing signs of life were his shifty eyes.

"Are you referring that I couldn't handle myself against a guy just because he's male?" Her eyes flashed indignantly at this. She prided herself in her strength, and no sleazy man could push her aside without a fight.

"It's biological. Surely you know of this already, but Maka, you aren't fully…matured yet, and thus older men would automatically have an advantage. And since you're a girl, and if a drunk man happened along…" He chanced a look into her eyes. Not so inviting.

"_Death the Kid_," she made sure to enunciate all the words loud and clear, "a guy most certainly couldn't overpower me so easily."

Smirking confidently, Maka turned on her heel as if to finish the conversation in a cool manner. But less than a second had passed and she was pressed up against the wall, the wind knocked out of her. Kid held her hands firmly above her head and made eye contact with her.

"I could do anything to you right now if I wanted to." His legs effectively kept her from kicking him.

Maka immediately rebelled. She put all of her strength into her arms and attempted to tear them away from his grip, but to no avail. She wasn't entirely weak, however, for both their hands came off the wall occasionally.

"I'm only a teenager, though, so my power isn't as great. And if I can do this to you, so can any older male." Maka huffed angrily and gave him the best glare she could muster. In the sky, the moon had smirked at a funny story told by the wind of two 'star-crossed' lovers. Which, in all honesty, had no relevance to the scene unfolding, but it was still rather comical to the moon. He'd probably tell his star friends later, and maybe they'd shine brighter afterwards. Often times when they were angry they'd attempt to flash out the moon's brilliance with their own light, but it usually didn't have that effect.

Silence passed between the two in which Maka grew angrier. She lifted her knee up to put some distance between them.

"What? So are you going to do something?" She snapped at him.

"Do you want me to?" Kid questioned. _If only to prove a point_, he added in his mind. But kissing girls was always an enjoyable experience to him, and the closer they were in friendship terms…He had often stolen kisses from perfectly symmetrical girls who always had feelings for him, but Maka wasn't one of those girls. Yes, she was symmetrical, but she was unattainable, and that made the prize that much more valuable. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been thinking of making out with her before.

"It doesn't seem like you're going to let go. Ever." Maka was still glaring at him. She didn't like feeling weak; especially to men.

Kid drew in closer, and their breath mingled in the air. "That'd be a correct assumption," he spoke sickeningly sweet, "Say, Maka…" He paused, and a slight frown made its way onto his face.

"Tell me." She had given up trying to escape long ago, and was content with this strange conversation.

"Do you like one night stands?" A slight blush made its way onto her features, but it wasn't visible in the darkness, nor was his eager smile.

"I-I don't know what that is." She feigned innocence, but she'd read enough books to know exactly what that meant. Not to mention the 'one night stands' Soul had in the past, but only because he wasn't thinking straight.

"Friends with benefits?" He asked next, whispering into her ear. His lips actually touched her skin when he spoke.

"No, haven't heard of it." Maka's cheeks were burning red, but the shadows effectively hid them.

"Let me explain then," Kid continued to breathe in her ear, causing her to shiver, "Friends with benefits: two good friends that happen to help each other out on a…mutual level of understanding. There's no commitment, and the two parties help the other in…relieving stress." He smirked at his brilliant definition. Maybe this could work. He hadn't wanted someone like this before.

"That's…uh, rather vague." Maka attempted. She felt really vulnerable and uncomfortable now. He was entirely too close and crossing the 'being friendly and showing you that you were wrong' line.

"I can help you unwind, right now. Wouldn't that be nice?" Even after he was done talking his lips continued to caress her ear.

"I should be getting home now; Soul's probably worried." She whispered, unsure if her voice would betray her like her face was at the moment.

"He's out with Black*Star; I had left them early on and was on my way home when I saw you. They probably won't be back for at least another few hours."

"Umm…But…Okay, fine, you win." She spoke so quietly it was almost impossible to hear. Kid pulled away and gave her a friendly smile that seemed to have no ill intent.

"...Did you forget what I was trying to teach you? Not to fall for a man trying to get you, even if it's a friend. I was just kidding the whole time! Haha, you were completely fooled!"

But he wasn't kidding, and bravery couldn't substitute ignorance.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Did I get you at the end? Probably not, it moved a little quick. This one was little more spicier and longer than the others, not to mention a darker Kid, meh... I have a rather comical one coming up next, and hopefully better in-character stuff, so stay tuned! :)**


	19. Chilling Out

_Chilling Out_

"So, dude, are you going to tell us who this girl is that you won't shut up about?" Soul spun a basketball on his finger expertly.

"Yeah, hearing about someone else other than me for SO LONG is really annoying." Black*Star punched the palm of his opposite hand in light agitation. It was just a guys' night out between the three of them, and they had decided to play basketball together.

"Well, I would tell you both, but I think it'd be in our best interest if you didn't know who it was I've recently fallen in love with." Kid smiled uneasily. An old habit he had picked up when he was younger; rambling when he was nervous.

"At least give us some hints so we can guess; it's not like we're going to tell her how you feel." Soul grinned with his shark-like teeth. There was no room for doubt with someone so confident.

"Uh…She's a girl." Kid stated matter-of-factly, already feeling like he's said too much.

"WELL DUH!" Black*Star shouted in the shinigami's face, causing him to flinch slightly. Soul also cringed at the loudness of his voice.

"Yeah, and she's…she's uh…she's h-h…" Kid blushed while imagining his crush. Before attending his father's school, he didn't communicate to other boys his age at all. And, now that he was with his peers, he tried his best to fit in. Even if that included the strange words they often spoke of.

"Hot?" Soul suggested, dribbling the ball idly in place.

"Yes. She isn't like most girls, either. You know…different in a good way." His eyes took on a faraway look.

"Don't turn into a girl yourself dude! All you've said is that she's a girl, hot, and isn't like other chicks. I mean," Black*Star stole the basketball from Soul and threw it at Kid in a chest pass to punctuate his next statement, "Come on!"

Kid caught it easily, and stared down at its black stripes. "Sorry. She's a girl…hot, isn't like other 'females,' rather short, symmetrical, and a meister. That's as much as you'll get out of me on hints." He smiled at his brief description. The shinigami figured that he had done well and that any other guy would say the same about her.

"You're making her sound attractive. If I knew who it was I'd probably want to try that out." Soul only smiled at the indignant glare thrown at him from his friend. Kid passed the basketball to the weapon a bit too hard.

"…You probably wouldn't…" Kid muttered to himself.

"Anyway, since you're not going to tell us who this mysterious girl is anytime soon, why don't we do some guy stuff?" Soul indicated to the basketball in his hand.

"Yeah! Let's play basketball! Me versus Soul versus Kid!" Black*Star smirked as if he thought he had already won the game.

"How would that even work? There are only two hoops." Kid stared at the assassin incredulously.

"Are you afraid to lose to a big man like me?" Black*Star had a cocky stance. Did he honestly think that they would give up without a fight?

"I've got an idea," Soul spoke up suddenly, "How about me and you team up, Black*Star, and if Kid loses he has to tell us who he's got his heart set on."

Kid swallowed. He could beat these two in a fight easily, as proven the first time he saw them, but with basketball? He could possibly be the worst player in all of existence. Other than her.

* * *

"Truth or dare, Patty?" Tsubaki questioned earnestly. Her entire throat was still burning after drinking that whole bottle of hot sauce! Indeed, there was no way she would take a dare, but Maka had asked her a question that she really didn't want to answer, and thus she had to do whatever the meister told her to as payment. Maka obviously didn't make it easy on the poor weapon.

"Ohhh, dare me pleeaaase?" Her eyes shined in anticipation, ready to do whatever Tsubaki ordered her to.

"Um…I dare you to not speak for the rest of the game." She gave Patty an apologetic little smile, but the younger Thompson sister didn't care for it. She put her hand to the corner of her mouth and 'pulled' a zipper to the opposite side, effectively keeping her quiet.

She then pulled out a piece of paper and wrote in crayon: _Truth or dare?_

It was directed towards her elder sister, Liz, in which she responded with a simple, "Truth." Patty started to scribble furiously on the other side of the paper, and then a few short seconds later showed her sister the question.

_Do you have a crush on someone? _

Liz nodded once, with a slight blush, before turning to the next target of the game: Maka. "Truth or dare, Maka? I hope you don't chicken out because of the last dare I gave you," she giggled a little at the thought. In the previous round, Maka had bravely declared that she wanted to do a dare, and Liz had forced her to 'symmetrify' her own apartment. She was very reluctant to do it, for she knew Soul would throw a fit.

"Eheh, about that…I think I'll take truth this time." She smiled sheepishly. Maka wasn't ready for another one of Liz's crazy dares; she was the best at this game no doubt.

"If you could do it with someone who would it be?" Liz did not hold back, apparently. She knew that someone like Maka would shy away from a question like that and was eager to see her friend's reaction, even at her expense. Not to mention the curiosity.

"L-Liz! What kind of a question is that?" Maka was blushing. Indeed, Liz was correct in her assumption.

"Just answer it! …Or would you rather take a dare instead?" She gave the meister a very devious look that scared Maka out of her skin.

"It would be um…Kid."Her blush was still very evident on her features.

"Kid? As in Death the Kid, Kid? Our meister?" Liz stared at Maka in amusement. The poor victim simply nodded.

"Okay everyone, game over. Tell us why you like him!" The elder Thompson sister was in Maka's face within seconds.

Tsubaki, although feeling guilty, seemed just as interested in this bit of information. Patty was giggling while drawing on the same paper she had been communicating through earlier. She didn't know she was allowed to talk now that the game was over.

"Come on, guys! Don't make me say embarrassing stuff like that…" Maka pleaded, a blush still tainting her cheeks.

"Spill. Or I'll tell Kid that a certain someone finds him _physically attractive_." Liz's confident smirk told the poor meister that she wasn't kidding.

"F-Fine…But not a word gets out of this room, alright?" She glanced around, as if someone had snuck in whilst they were playing Truth or Dare.

Both Liz and Tsubaki gave her their assent while Patty continued idly drawing. Maka wasn't worried about her, however.

"Ahem. Anyway…I do have a crush on him. Even though he's too perfect sometimes, his OCD makes him a little more…realistic, if you will. And the way he carries himself when not in a symmetry fit is admirable. Not to mention intelligence and strength."

"Maka…You sound like you're describing a character in a video game. How about this—rate?" Liz inspected her fingernails while waiting for Maka's answer.

"Rate? Uh… Eight?" She suggested.

"Good choice," Tsubaki commended with a giggle.

"Favorite feature?" Liz continued her interrogation like an expert.

"Physically, eyes. Personality-wise, he's gentle and not overbearing."

"How likely are you to commit to a relationship, one being the lowest and ten being the highest." Liz glanced at Maka's determined expression.

"Eighty-eight, definitely."

"Hm, okay, you pass." Liz smirked at Maka. She would've passed no matter what she answered—Liz always seemed to treat her as big a part of her life as both Patty and Kid. Although, it was questionable on whether or not she noticed this.

"Now, I think we need to question you about Soul." Liz blushed in response. How did Maka know about her secret crush?


	20. Words

**(Author's Notes: A change of pace here! This entire chapter is simply dialogue. I wanted to try my hand at that, but it may not be very good. I think it came off as more of a comedy, but meh... You tell me!)**_  
_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, the characters, or Barney. They all belong to their own respective owners. **

* * *

_Words_

"Kid… Why are you moving the painting?"

"I was fixing it; it wasn't symmetrical!"

"Yes it was! I measured it just the other day for you! You were there!"

"N-No, it moved! It was off by a quarter of a centimeter."

"That much doesn't matter, Kid! Ugh. What am I going to do with you?"

"I could say the same about your unnecessary want to study."

"…Good point."

"…"

"Kid, why do you have such bad timing with that kind of thing?"

"A kiss is a kiss, and our conversation had died so I had to do something. Would you rather have had silence afterwards?"

"You shouldn't kiss a girl for no reason out of nowhere like that. I didn't even know you were going to do it until you were already in my face."

"…Fine. Maka, I'm going to kiss you."

"Don't ruin the atmos—"

"…"

"…Wow."

"Better?"

"No. Why did you have to bite? That hurt, you know."

"I don't know, some people like that."

"Are you serious?"

"Sure am. So is that a no-go on the aggressive kissing, Maka?"

"Yes. Never want to go through that again. I think my lip is bleeding."

"Really?"

"…"

"Wasn't so nice, was it?"

"Why'd you go and bite me, too? I know my lip is bleeding; I can feel it! And…And… the symmetry is off! I must fix it immediately."

"You should be called 'Killer of Moods' instead of 'Death the Kid.' That would fit you much better."

"I'm a gentleman! I have perfect timing; it's just more humorous to do it this way."

"What? To make it unromantic?"

"If it is romantic then it gets boring and predictable."

"How would you know that, Symmetry Boy?"

"…You promised not to call me that ever again."

"Oops, I must have forgotten."

"Cruel woman."

"Didn't even know you could say something like that."

"Maka, it was a joke, and was supposed to be perceived as such."

"…You have a lot to learn, Kiddo. That was sarcasm."

"…"

"Don't you love untimely kisses, Barney?"

"I can't believe you just called me that."

"Maka AlBARN? Did you get it?"

"…Of course, Kid. It was obvious."

"Just making sure my girlfriend caught my genius at nicknaming. I'm good at everything already."

"When did you get so cocky?"

"Ever since you showered me in praise in that love letter."

"Can I get a _snuggle _Kiddy Bear?"

"Where the heck did you come up with that? …The hug was nice, though."

"Other couples call each other 'bears' all the time."

"I thought bears were a symbol of ferocity and scared people."

"Me too. Liz told me I should try it, but I don't get it."

"I think Barney was the perfect nickname for you. My…little…Barney!"

"Hahahaha! Don't tickle…me! Hehehe."

"Am I being too affectionate?"

"I certainly don't think so."

"Maka…Marker…No. Makaaa. I can't do anything with your first name!"

"Death…Eh…Is that even your first name?"

"Yeah. It's just 'Death the Kid,' so I suppose so."

"That's too intimidating. I don't think I could come up with a pet name for that."

"Pet name? You'd be a little _completely symmetrical _parrot."

"…Those are annoying. You'd be an asymmetrical turtle."

"I like turtles."

"That quote doesn't fit you at all."

"I figured I'd give it a try, Barney!"

"I'm _not _a purple dinosaur."

"I think it fits you. Do an impersonation! I want to hear it."

"What am I supposed to say…? Uh… _Heeyy kids!"_

"Hahahahaha! You used my name too! That was good, Barney! Haha."

"Stop laughing! It's not that funny."

"It really is! _Maka Albarn _just impersonated Barney, the purple dinosaur!"

"…"

"Uh, Maka, are you okay? …You look a bit mad."

"…"

"I'm getting kind of worried. You look really angry."

"…Maka…"

"Is your eyebrow twitching? Did I do something wrong?"

"CHOP!"

"Oww!"

"Hehehe…"

"Why are you laughing?! I have blood coming out of my forehead!"

"This is payback for calling me Barney."

"Where did you get that dictionary anyway?"

"…That's a secret."

"Just tell me!"

"Only if you stop calling me that ridiculous nickname."

"After a kiss?"

"…"

"What was the point in asking if you were going to kiss me anyway?"

"Eh, worked, didn't it?"

"…I guess."

"So where do you keep that dictionary?"

"It's actually…right here."

"Are you serious? How do you even fit it in there without no one noticing?"

"Packing skills. You can't tell anyone else about this or I'll personally Maka-chop you ten times over."

"…Yes ma'am."

"Did you just call me 'ma'am?'"

"Yeah. You wanted me to be more polite, right? And Barney was out of the question."

"Symmetry Boy, I think you need to be put in your place."

"Oh, sure. Put me in my place."

"…"

"Maka?"

"Maka-chop! What were you thinking? Pervert."

"Aghh! How can you do it two times in a row in the same PLACE? Ow!"

"Hehe…"

"I can't believe this…"

"…"

"You think a kiss makes it better, cutie?"

"…Cutie? Really? And yes, I do."

"I'm running out of names! But I guess it does."

"It's not that we're running out of names, it's that we're running out of words. What now, Kid?"

"Kiss?"

"Uh, I think I have some free time right now."


	21. Spirit

_Spirit_

They were always afraid of telling Maka's father of their relationship. Even Shinigami-sama's son feared for his life at the thought of it. He wasn't a coward, definitely not, but everyone was a little afraid to talk to their girlfriend's parents. Right?

Maybe it was better not to tell Spirit that they were getting married. It'd probably be even better just to elope so they wouldn't have to face his fiery wrath. They'd been dating for a year and a half, so it's not like they rushed into anything.

But Maka had insisted on telling her father. She really was brave—but it was understandable. There was no way to contact her mother and invite her to the wedding, so of course she'd want her only other parent to be there, even if it was that good-for-nothing man.

At least Shinigami-sama was there. Kid and Maka planned to tell both of their fathers at the same time in the Death Room (mostly for protection).

"Chichiue…"

"Spirit…"

"We're getting married."

Spirit's jaw dropped to the floor. Shinigami-sama started chuckling with a gloved hand in front of his mask.

"What?! My Maka is getting married to a boy?! I didn't even know you were dating yet!" In a flash the red-head was shaking Maka by the shoulders comically. He had tears streaming down his face, but still managed to have an angry expression.

"We didn't tell you because we knew you'd react like this." She cast him an indifferent look. "But we did want you to go to the wedding…"

"There's no way my daughter is getting married!" Spirit started dragging Maka to the entrance, but was stopped when he got shinigami-chopped.

"That's no way to treat Maka, Spirit. It's not like she's marrying a stranger—the groom is my son!" He cast an approving glance at Kid.

"But she's all I've got left! I'm not ready to give her up yet…" The grown man sniffled pathetically.

"I promise to take good care of her." Kid came into the conversation, his arm around Maka's shoulders casually. Wrong move.

Spirit's eyebrow twitched and he jumped at the younger boy. Shinigami-sama once again chopped him before scolding, "Death Scythe! You should be happy if your daughter is."

Kid felt bad for the old man. Spirit had never gotten Maka's love and attention the way he wanted, and was always being mortally injured by people. Not to mention his wife running out on him (ignoring the fact that he had cheated on her.) The only thing that could be counted as positive was him being a Death Scythe, and having a 'good friend' like Shinigami-sama.

Spirit nodded slowly, half-heartedly approving to all of this. Maka beamed in response before doing something she probably hadn't done in years—she hugged him. Death Scythe was no longer crying from the pain of the shinigami chop, but of joy. He always was closer to tears than most men.

Maka pulled away shortly. She didn't actually enjoy the close proximity, but it was worth it. Her father approving of marriage? It was absurd!

"You'd better not hurt her." Both Spirit and Kid glared at each other, as if in silent competition, before hand-shaking.

"If he does, I'll shinigami-chop him one hundred times!" They all shared a laugh at this.

"So, you're both okay with us getting married? …We don't need to elope, right?" Maka glanced between the two fathers, as if she needed to ensure their approval.

"Of course~!" Shinigami-sama bounced up and down with two thumbs up.

"I suppose so. I'll be the one to walk you down that aisle, right?" His eyes were once again watery. He cried far too often.

Maka smiled warmly before nodding. She really was happy—she'd be able to marry the guy she loved, and she wouldn't have to move far away! …She actually had wanted to elope. All those novels made it seem like fun and romantic. You'd have to really love someone to give up your life for them.

But there really was no way she'd tell Kid that. It was one of those secrets that under no circumstances you'd ever admit to. Maka figured that everyone had those things they kept close to their heart, but she didn't necessarily have any proof.

"We'll be going, then. That was all we had to say. Oh, and the wedding day is planned for March twenty-seventh." Maka already turned to leave.

Kid nodded to Shinigami-sama respectfully before following after his fiancé. Strangely, Spirit hadn't tried to stop them.

"That was relatively painless." Kid smiled; obviously relieved he was still in one piece.

"Yeah, it was. I figured Spirit wouldn't approve." Maka spoke contentedly.

"Same. He took it a lot easier than I thought he would. Hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Noooooo, Makaaaa…" Spirit sobbed on Shinigami-sama, who appeared extremely tired.

"She's not leaving you forever…" He sighed, and the red-head only cried harder.

"I-I can't believe this, first Kami and then Maka? It's not fairrr!" Shinigami-sama pushed the pitiable heap of a man off of him.

"I didn't think I'd have to do this, but Spirit! SHUT UP!" Spirit fell silent for a moment before whimpering and sobbing again.

"Wahh! I don't wanna be a Death Scythe anymore!"

"Now, you didn't mean that." Shinigami-sama face-palmed.

"I-If everyone is being so mean and abandoning me, I do mean it!" He threatened emptily. Was everyone against him now?

"Look, Spirit, you need to get a hold of yourself! Maka needs your support, and if you are like this then she probably won't ever talk to you!"

"Do…Do you think that maybe she'll talk to me more if I am helpful?" Spirit glanced hopefully at the old shinigami's mask.

"Yes! Definitely, yes." _Just please, shut up. You're giving me a headache, Death Scythe!_

"Okay. I'll be the best supportive overprotective father during a wedding ever!" The red-head jumped up, now smiling. "And then Maka has to be nice to me!"

_This man…_


	22. Halloween Special

_(Late) Halloween Special_

I'm nervous—very, very nervous. I've been here for years, many years. I do not recall how long ago it was that I was put in this hellish place, but it was a very long time ago indeed.

The Disease has spread to everyone across the globe. Most humans have been turned. But me…No, I am alive. I will survive.

Anxiety. I'm familiar with the feeling. Everyone—seeing them this way is amusing. It's payback for their sins. They have forsaken themselves—but not me. I will survive.

What is it? My other half calls to me. It tells me that this is wrong, and pleads to let this end. There is no reason for such a thing; I will not die here.

The Disease has gotten to every city and chaos is ensuing. Not many make it. I laugh at them; very foolish indeed!

Flesh-craving monsters are what they are. I am sure in those old movies they were called 'zombies.' Crazy nonsense.

_I_ am not crazy. No, they told me I was really sick. I will kill them all for keeping me in that damned place for so long. I am not mad. No. Definitely not. Death will take them soon enough.

I find survivors often. The Disease gives me free reign, and I can kill. It feels good. They shouldn't be alive, anyway. They have sinned one time too many.

There was only one survivor I let live. A woman my age. She was not weak—and rather attractive. I kept her like a pet_. I am not crazy._ She had bonds on her wrists and I gave her a leash. She was mine—I owned her. I would need her after the Disease is wiped out.

I'm killing again, and it feels good. Deliciously so. Years of pent up frustration and anger for those men. I do not care if they are alive or undead. It does not matter, and I do not care. They have all sinned, and I am to cleanse them.

I have decided to keep my _pet _in the basement of a building I have secured. I kicked the family out and watched them being feasted upon by the undead. It feels good.

Her name is Maka. She is perfect. Feisty; but I like that. It's—It's good. She's mine; all mine. No one else's. She says I'm insane. No—I am not mad.

The so-called zombies have grown in numbers. They move in crowds. I do not fear them, as they do not fear me. They feast on your fear. No, I will survive.

I can feel my eye twitching. The fearful whimpers—oh so pleasing. My pet tried to escape earlier, and I simply couldn't have that happen. Definitely not. She had to be punished. I enjoyed that very much.

I am not crazy.

The doctors told me that I was very sick, very sick indeed. They said something was wrong in my head; that I wasn't normal. They would die by my hand, I swore. They would not get away with that—I am not insane.

(1)White. Why is everything so white? Zombies—Undead—The Disease is spreading. I don't know how it started. My pet is starting to grow restless. She despises me—but I like that. I feel powerful. I dominate her completely.

Mine. Everything is mine. (4)It's hard to move my hands, but it's okay. I'm not crazy.

(2)They won't—they won't shut up! These voices…They won't go away. I'm twitching. It's hard on me—these voices won't shut up. I can't stand it. My pet is all I have.

I've cleansed the entire city. Not a single soul dwells within. I am happy—so very happy! But I'm nervous. Always nervous. I am going to stay with my pet. That is what I plan to do.

She is safe at home—she obeys me after that time. She does not wish to be punished again, but I wish to do so. Her whimpering makes me feel great.

(3)They taste bad. Why must I take so many? Disgusting. I will kill them all. Except my precious—the gemstone among the living. I am not alive, nor am I dead. I am not mad.

Is it possible? The zombies are not showing up anymore. I wish to spend more time with my pet. I am becoming more and more attracted to her. I have not seen women like this in a long time. A very long time indeed.

I am finding myself kissing her more. She bites hard in resistance, but I like that. We've started getting intimate as of late. She's hot. And she's mine. All mine. I'm not crazy.

I AM NOT INSANE. Stop it! The voices in my head—they won't shut up! I-I'll kill them all.

My pet is pregnant. Delightful—but I do not cease my romance with her. If anything, she's become even more pleasing to me. She no longer fears me—and no longer hates me. It seems as though she is indifferent.

I am not crazy.

She's starting to show, and the zombies are returning. I must kill them. I must kill them all, for she is mine, and mine alone.

I'm tired. So very tired. I want to kill. I want to be with my pet. But most of all, I want to leave this place. This hell on earth. The doctors told me that I'm sick in the head. I won't ever get to leave. But I will. Mark my words—they will all die. Everyone but my pet.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Kid's POV. Now that you've finished, I would suggest re-reading if you're confused. If you don't understand, and really need a helping hand, he's actually in a mental hospital and _is _crazy. He's only imagining the zombies. It's a little late for Halloween, but it is creepy.)**

** Here are some things you may need cleared:**

**1. He's talking about the room in which he's kept in the mental institution.  
**

**2. Doctors talking to him.  
**

**3. Pills he has to take.  
**

**4. He's wearing a strait jacket.  
**


	23. Fear

_Fear_

Fear is a paralyzing emotion. It snakes its way around you, leaving a trail of electricity, and settles into your heart, which is already pumping harder than it should.

Fear is the feeling you get when your nightmares come to life. Fear is the embodiment of the worst things possible in the world as we see them. For Maka, fear is Asura. He knew exactly how to get to her—exactly how to break her.

She was brave—yes, very brave indeed—but only the insane can dismiss fear entirely. There were so many different types of it; the fear of dying, of being alone, of failing, pain…

Asura reminded Maka of the cruel reality of it. It killed her confidence, along with most of her sanity. He called her a weakling. It was the most mentally pressing battle Maka had ever taken part in.

Every night afterwards she had nightmares. That terrible, _dreadful _feeling kept her awake most of the time. Fear. It always seemed to wrap its cold fingers around her throat when she least expected it. Her heart would betray her, as always.

Tonight was one of those nights. But this time, it was much worse. Asura had appeared in the dream. Maka shivered and glanced around uneasily. Always—_Always _there seemed to be someone there. She hated this—she hated herself for this damned fear.

Maka wanted to turn on the light, but she couldn't move. Paralyzed with _that _feeling. By day she was brave, but by night…

She was a coward. Bravery wasn't something someone could call at will. It always came with a purpose, a sense of duty and accomplishment. But cowardice was always in its shadow, waiting for its own turn. Just as with souls and bodies, they needed balance.

_Please…_ _Let me sleep in peace, just once._

She always wished for this, but never had it come. Peaceful slumbering was a thing in the past for her. She didn't even _know _what she was afraid of, which made it that much more scary. Everything in her world seemed to be made to strike fear—the cackling laughter from both the sun and moon, witches, shinigami, zombies, Kishin eggs,_ Professor_ _Stein_…

Maka forced herself out of bed despite the chilling sensation of floorboards on her feet. She couldn't make out much in the darkness, but had an idea of where the light switch was. She walked ever so slowly—her heart wouldn't stop its pounding. Every sound was amplified in her ears, and the shuffling of her sleep-deprived body was entirely too loud.

Finally, the light was on. Maka felt relieved—but the fear was still there. It was simply lying in wait for the minute she lost focus. She could see the moon from her standpoint, and it was most definitely laughing at her cowardice.

It was dreadful. All those times she was brave—was this the backfire? Was it a boomerang effect the whole entire time? And if so, would it always be like this? Countless sleepless nights? It wouldn't be long before someone noticed.

Maybe that's what she needed. Someone to notice—someone to save her. She had saved plenty of people in the past, but where were they now? Hadn't they the decency to return the favor? The minute she needed help, everyone seemed to disappear of the face of the planet. Terrible indeed.

Maybe—Maybe Soul could help. He was just in the other room, right? And as a team, he should aid his meister when needed.

Maka stumbled into the living room, and upon seeing no one, checked the boy's room. He wasn't anywhere. Numbly, she walked to the kitchen—where she saw a note.

_Out with Black*Star. Be back soon._

_-Soul_

Of course. He always went out on Friday nights. Maka was shaking—she could feel it coming back. She'd be all alone. Just like always.

_No…Not this time… _Maka pulled out her phone, blinking several times to read the screen. She dialed the number of the first person on her 'recently called' list—Death the Kid.

"_Please_ pick up…" She hoped against hope that she'd be able to talk to someone. And Kid was intellectual—they were friends. He should be able to give comfort. At least a little.

"Hello?" He was on the other line! Yes! …Was this such a good idea?

"It's Maka…Are…Are you busy right now?" She sounded so uncertain. There was no trace of the fear that currently coursed throughout her veins.

"No, I'm not. Is something wrong?" His voice held concern. Of course—she was worrying him. More self-hate grew within her.

"Yes. Well, no. I mean…" She took a deep breath before sinking down onto her knees. "I don't know. Can we just…talk for a while? I can't—I can't sleep."

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" Maka's eyes continued to shift uneasily around the kitchen. She felt as if she were being watched.

"Anything. I just need to get my mind off of…other things." Maka said.

"Do you want me to come over?" He sounded troubled and nervous. Maka was tempted, but the fear constricted her. Wouldn't he have to hang up?

"N-No, please, I just need to talk right now…" Shuffling was heard on the other line. "Are you still there?"

There was no answer. Maka gulped when she heard a knock on the door. Was it—was it Asura? Had he returned for vengeance? Or had the madness finally consumed her?

She clutched the phone tighter, but did not get up. If it was a stranger, maybe they'd just go away. It was so pathetic—she was so pathetic.

The door's knocking became louder and more insistent. Maka slowly got to her feet and scuffled over to the entrance as quietly as possible. She was afraid—oh so scared. But at the same time…maybe she wouldn't have to be alone.

Maka looked through the eyehole, but couldn't see anything. It was much too dark. The door vibrated from the persistent banging.

"Who…Who is it?" It was nothing more than a whisper, but the knocking stopped momentarily.

She reached for the knob—curiosity was ebbing—and she had a feeling she knew who it was. Earlier, Kid had asked if he could come over. Maybe…Maybe it was him?

Maka heard someone's voice from her room. "Don't open the door, Maka! You need to come back here, where you'll be safe." She whirled around, but saw no one. Her bedroom door was closed, but Kid's voice had definitely come from within.

Behind her, the door was thudding so loudly Maka thought that the hinges might come off. But something kept her rooted to the spot—fear. If Kid really was in her bedroom, why wasn't he coming out? And…Just who was it at her door?

"Who is it?" She said louder, staring pointedly at the door.

"It's me, Maka. Death the Kid, you gotta let me in there, you're in danger!" It sounded just like him. Maka's heart started beating faster. Two Kids? That wasn't—that just wasn't possible! She hurriedly grabbed her phone again and dialed his number. There was no answer.

This was worse than the nightmare by far. She was so scared right now. She didn't think there was anything that could shape-shift in her world, but maybe it was magic? A witch?

Was she to trust one? Honestly, she didn't want to move at all. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Was it some sort of monster? When she was a little girl, she used to laugh at such a preposterous idea, but now… Fear.

But what Maka didn't know…

There wasn't a way out.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Hm... I feel like maybe this one should have been the Halloween Special. Oh well. Anyway, I feel like over the last few chapters the quality and word-count has dropped dramatically. I apologize for that, and am currently working to improve the next few. I hope you liked this one, despite the lack of romance! Hope it made you a little scared ;)**


	24. Villain

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for getting this one out late. I don't necessarily like it very much, but I hope you enjoy it. *Alternate Universe*)**_  
_

* * *

_Villain_

It was fun. He was a villain and he loved every bit of it. The feeling that sprouts in your chest when you dominate someone else, the pride, and the _vengeance_. It was a bittersweet venture. Even he saw that.

He was called Death the Kid. He had given up his real name long ago, back when he gave up his identity. It was ironic—his father was a hero. Perhaps it was the pressure to replace him after his death that turned him. Or maybe it was the isolated training. No one knew why. It was a very tragic loss indeed.

Death the Kid hadn't attended his father's school. However, his most prized students were quick to rise against him the moment he attempted to take over. It was more of a nuisance than anything.

If he had to pick one as a nemesis, it was that Soul Eater. He kept a cool head that annoyed the living daylights out of Death the Kid, and he also got all the girls. And, more specifically, Maka Albarn. It was common knowledge that the good guy always got the girl in the end. He so despised that law of nature.

But there was something good that came from that. Seeing as Soul Eater was in love with her, Death the Kid could easily use her to lure out and ultimately destroy him.

She didn't go without a fight. Death the Kid had gone easy on her, but that was due to a simple infatuation. Nothing more.

It was weird, to say the least. He hadn't spoken to a girl in a long time, other than his trusty servants he picked up off the street: Liz and Patty. Needless to say, he was rather awkward. But still evil—most definitely. No one would change that. Not even _her_.

At first the kidnapping was for business; to finally defeat the DWMA. But at some point…things started to change. It really was strange.

Of course, she hated him. From the moment she heard of him to the present day, and probably well into the future. That girl was picture-perfect with heroic attributes and even goddess-like features. The obvious contrast between his persona and hers was probably what made her so appealing.

"Liz…Bring the prisoner to me. I wish to speak with her before we make her disappearance and our terms on her retrieval clear." He spoke clearly and with purpose. The elder Thompson sister merely nodded and made haste on his order. Non-questioning obedience. He liked that trait.

While waiting, he idly tapped his finger on the armrest. The metal was cold, but it was reassuring. It reminded him of his own personality.

A few minutes later, Liz returned with Maka. The latter glared, her shackles clanging loudly.

"You won't get away with this." She threatened, "Soul knows that I'm gone and he will find me. You just wait!" Maka always said that every single time he called for her. It was getting quite annoying.

"Indeed?" And yet it was so very amusing. "We'll have to see about that. Today will be the day! Yes, Soul Eater _will _croak!" He laughed.

"You sure talk a big game. You haven't ever won in the past, so why so confident now?" Her eyes narrowed, and Death the Kid figured if her hands weren't in restraints she'd probably be punching him at this point.

"Because…" He walked over to her, and dragged his hand across her face with a twisted sort of loving expression. Maka's own look distorted in disgust, but she didn't move away. She had her pride. "I have you this time. And I know that Soul Eater will sooner die than let you, my dear, be held in my grasp. He should know, as well as the rest of your accursed school, that I will not show mercy."

She gave him a cold look. His sadistic smile only widened. "And you know what else? I think I may take over Death City. It's only fair—I was meant to already. And from there, I'll expand my horizons, and take over the world. Doesn't that sound like _fun_?" It was a rhetorical question, and he continued, "Maybe if you are good I won't make you work as a servant. Hm…Actually, I do want to see you in a maid outfit. Choices, choices…"

Once again, her face twisted in disgust. "I'd rather die than do that. Seriously, what happened to you? Your father was a hero and a great guy. How the hell did someone like you get a dad like that?" His anger rose. He wanted to lash out and insult her as well, but he kept it in check with a deep breath.

"I don't think you understand. Insatiable greed is what drives someone like me to do things like this. My father has absolutely no relevance or place in my life or upbringing. He was much too busy to take any part in it, and so I would rather not speak nor think of him. You could call it irony—but where's the fun in that? Labeling something so complex as a simple word just would not do. It would not do at all." He shook his head ruefully.

She looked at him sympathetically. It confused him. "Your dad wasn't there when you were growing up?"

"No." Death the Kid didn't like where the conversation was going. It was a touchy subject for the villain.

"I see…Don't take this the wrong way. I still hate you," She gave him a glare, "But you may need to hear this… My dad wasn't the very 'fatherly' type, either. He was always out with other girls, even though he was married to my mother. They always argued. Anyway, I didn't pay attention to any of that. As far as I was concerned, he wasn't my father. I still did my best, and I didn't go ballistic and turn evil or anything. You, on the other hand, went and decided you wanted to rule the world because your father didn't spend any time with you."

Death the Kid was fuming at this. It didn't matter that she was his object of infatuation; no one insulted him. "…You don't know anything…!"

"I'm not done yet!" Maka interrupted. "It's perfectly understandable that you are depressed from the lack of interaction with your father, but you shouldn't have reacted like this. You know, it's not too late. You're not a bad person; you just made a bad decision." She attempted.

"No. You don't know what you're suggesting. This is all I know—and vengeance is the only thing I want." He looked over at Liz for assurance, who simply nodded.

"Revenge will only leave you empty inside. Is that what you really want?" Her eyes bored into his. Death the Kid's eye twitched, but he paused.

"I…I don't know." He admitted. Everything seemed to be…spinning. He still wanted vengeance.

"Just…give it a try? I won't hate you. Oh, and I wouldn't press charges for kidnapping me." She gave him a stern look.

"M…Maybe…" He glanced over at Liz again, trying to find an answer. Perhaps it wasn't just a simple infatuation.


	25. Coffee

_Coffee_

Death the Kid had many responsibilities. He took Shinigami-sama's place in Death City a couple years back, and that was a burden in itself. (The funeral was depressing, but it was very formal in comparison to many others.)

Anyway, looking over an entire city and being the headmaster of a school was a very tiring thing to do. Even Kid was no exception. Coffee was an easy way to avoid wasting time on sleeping when he could be using it for work. Everyone knew _that_ wasn't mandatory.

But apparently Maka didn't know about the stress everyday life put on him. His wife (yes, he got around to proposing) always teased him. Sometimes she would give Kid coffee full of salt in it, chip containers with snakes that popped out when you opened them, and she even went so far as to hide his pillows when he came into the bedroom.

Today was one of those days.

She always got up before him and set up the coffee. He took his time walking down the stairs, used to the randomness of the tricks and just a little wary of his wife's intentions. She was much too playful for a grown woman.

Maka was in the kitchen. Kid wasn't sure what she was doing at the moment, and decided to go check. As he got closer, he noticed that she was next to the coffee machine, and didn't look too suspicious. Still, he had to be cautious.

"Hey, honey!" Maka whirled around holding a cup of coffee and smiling. Kid wasn't sure how she knew he was there, but was more annoyed with how bright her teeth were. She should warn him before blasting him full force with _that_ shine…

"Hey…" Kid mumbled, and Maka's smile only widened.

"How did you sleep?" There seemed to be a devious tint to her seemingly innocent grin.

"Okay, I guess…Would you hand me the coffee now, please?" His unkempt hair blocked some of his sight, but he could see Maka's outstretched hand with the cup.

Kid inspected the coffee carefully before taking hold of it. He continued to check it over, and Maka pouted in response.

"Just drink it! Nothing's wrong with it…" The cup _seemed _to be drinkable. Nothing looked wrong, and after a cautious glance at his wife, Kid took a drink. Big mistake.

The effects were immediate. Instead of the usual warm, calming taste of coffee, what Kid drank felt like an explosion on his tongue. The spiciness was so intense that he ended up coughing violently and spitting out the offending liquid.

"W-What…" Kid coughed again, "What did you put in…t-this?" His eyes watered involuntarily.

Maka snickered before holding up a glass bottle that she had hidden behind her back. "It's Soul's secret hot sauce recipe. He always says 'it's the second hottest thing out there, because I'm number one.'" The woman continued to laugh.

Kid could finally feel his throat again, and was wide awake at this point. "…I don't even know why I trust you to make my coffee in the morning. _Never_ again." He poured himself a glass of water and quickly gulped it down.

"Hahaha, I don't know, but if you made me coffee in the morning I'm sure you would prank me too." A light bulb went off over Kid's head. He would get his revenge.

The shinigami pecked his wife's lips and tried to forget the burning sensation on his own. "I'm going to work now, okay?"

* * *

It was the perfect prank. Finally, Maka wouldn't be the one laughing at him. He loved her very much—but now it was war.

Kid laughed lightly as he set it up. She would be up any minute now. In fact, he was sure he could hear her feet shuffling on the floor.

He didn't even have to turn around to know that she was just walking in. Was he that loud when he walked down the stairs, too?

"Good morning, Maka dear. How about a cup of coffee?" He turned around and smiled brightly. Maka blinked groggily, and Kid had a strange sense of Déjà Vu.

She eyed him suspiciously and slurred. "W-What're you up to?" She tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

"Nothing! I had to get up early to finish some papers for work," He lied, "And I also wanted to make you some coffee since you always get up to make me some before I have to leave. So here you go!" Kid practically shoved the cup into her hands.

Maka stared at the liquid and looked up at Kid. She was probably too tired to fight. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a whiff. Apparently it smelled normal, as she didn't try to dispose of it immediately. Perfect.

Maka shrugged before downing the coffee. The next scene was the most hilarious thing Kid had ever witnessed. Her expression quickly changed to surprise, then horror, and settled on utter disgust. She hurried to the sink before spitting it all out and washing her mouth out. Kid couldn't hold in his laughter.

"W-What the hell was in that? I've never tasted something so gross!" She continued to wipe her tongue off.

When Kid finally calmed down, (revenge was sweet) he wiped a tear from his eye and explained. "I put cough syrup and cold medicine in it. Haha, that was for all the times you did stuff like that to me. Uh…Truce?" She was glaring at him, but a challenging smirk found its way onto her features.

"Truce? Oh nononono. I don't think you understand, Kiddy. This is _war_. You may have won this battle, but there will be more to come!" She giggled at this. "You know what? Every morning, the victim has to drink the coffee, and whoever forfeits has to do whatever the winner wants. Deal?" She reached out a hand as if to shake.

"…Is it too late to be a pacifist?" Kid smiled uneasily. When Maka was this determined with something, you could bet your life that she would succeed in her endeavor.

"The minute you pranked me back you gave up that position. Besides, won't it be fun?" Her childish eyes and tone proved her youth.

"Oh, alright. It's been awhile since I've had to beat someone." He held out his hand, which was slightly bigger than Maka's own.

She grasped his hand and shook it business-like before kissing him. It was much too short, and it was obvious she was taunting him. "We'll have to see about that…"

Maka always made him feel young again. That was one of the many reasons he loved her. And, despite the pranks, he loved the fact that she made him coffee in the morning.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: I liked this one a lot, and I hope you did too. I'm sorry for not getting this out sooner, and the fluffiness/humor/cuteness is somewhat of a present for all of my readers! We've reached 10,000 views so far, and I'd like to thank you all for your support! And, just so you all know, coffee with that stuff really is disgusting. ;)**


	26. Rollercoaster

_Rollercoaster_

Sometimes life could be a rollercoaster. It had its ups and downs, happy times and sad times, but still it was something worth going through. At least, that was how Maka saw it.

But now that she was staring at a full-size rollercoaster in a really popular amusement park, she would rather have not been there.

She wasn't scared, well, not _entirely_, she just wasn't very good with heights. _At least my friends are here. And… _Maka added mentally, _my boyfriend._

Right now, though, it was something she admitted begrudgingly. They all wanted to come for the thrill now that most of the Kishin eggs were defeated. Maka didn't need the fake adrenaline; she could get the exhilaration easily through training.

Kid squeezed her hand and whispered. "You sure you want to go through with this?"

Maka shook her head to rid it of those troublesome philosophical thoughts. "Yeah, otherwise I'd never hear the end of it from Black*Star. Besides, rollercoasters aren't that bad, right?"

His brows furrowed in a way that Maka recognized. It meant he was trying to structure a response that sounded reasonable, even if the contents weren't true. "It's certainly something memorable."

Maka narrowed her eyes at the vagueness of the statement, but she didn't get a chance to reply. The male coaster's operator pointed to the vehicle and shouted, "The ride will begin momentarily, folks! Last chance to get on board!"

Black*Star had a silly grin on his face when he spoke, "Come on Tsubaki! We're gonna miss it!" The aforementioned girl was dragged by the assassin to the cars. Soul glanced back at his partner with a look that said, _why don't we just ditch him? _His girlfriend, however, had other ideas. Liz was absolutely thrilled to be in an amusement park and was thus begging to get on. Soul had no choice in the matter, which actually made Maka laugh a little.

Their friends were crazy—but wasn't that there a saying about love that went along those lines? _We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love._ Yeah, that was it. The quote definitely fit Maka's weird little group of friends—but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Maka wasn't sure about Kid's opinion on amusement parks and rollercoasters. He seemed entertained enough in her presence, but that had little to do with the setting. She knew Kid well enough to tell just about everything about him—even the things he tried to hide.

"If we're going to get on, we probably need to do so now." The shinigami pointed out as everyone was getting strapped into the ride.

Maka wondered why she kept having these thoughts that were almost as strange to her as a discussion about the meaning of life. While she would most certainly love to talk about that specific topic, she was usually the 'realistic' and 'down-to-earth' kid.

"Yeah, I guess we'd better get on." Maka admitted as she stepped up onto the raised boarding platform. She wasn't entirely oblivious to Kid's staring, however.

"Are you lookin' to ride the one and only _Silver Star_, beautiful?" The ride's operator smiled suggestively at Maka. A little nervously, she wondered what Kid's expression was at the moment. While the guy in front of her wasn't exactly ugly, he wasn't Prince Charming. He was obviously trying not to laugh, but that didn't work out so well. "Ahahaha, I'm joking, _joking_! Down, boy, down! You see, miss, this job is quite bland. I have to find my amusement somewhere, and usually I get that from all the beautiful women around. You _are _quite a looker—but it's obvious that you're taken by the way your boyfriend's glaring at me right now."

Maka glanced back at Kid and suppressed a giggle. He got angry when another boy even looked at her the wrong way. She cast the stranger an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that. He can be a little…"

"Jealous?" The guy supplied, his smile still holding its flirtatious hinting.

"Yes." She shrugged and hoped to change the subject, "Can we board?"

"Sure, sure!" He nodded vigorously, almost in a way that seemed like he was trying to make someone laugh, "But if you are ever lonely at night, you could always call me." He winked and proceeded to hand her a sheet of paper with his presumed number.

Maka smiled awkwardly. "Uh…Thanks…" She carefully took it out of his hand, wondering if it would catch fire. Kid guided her to the rollercoaster with only a slightly upset expression. When they picked a cart, he slid down in his seat, arms crossed, and had a frown. Okay, maybe he was more than a little upset.

Maka put on her seatbelt and overhead restraints. "Are you…okay?" She tried not to sound annoying, but she really didn't want to go through their day for fun like this.

"I don't like that guy." He said contemptuously. Maka even wondered if he was contemplating killing the poor male.

"You know I love you, right?" She mentioned casually. The shinigami didn't show any acknowledgement, so she continued quietly. "I didn't like that guy either. He didn't seem like a very faithful person in a relationship." Wrong choice of words. The corner of Kid's eyes twitched.

"Not what I meant to say…" She mumbled to herself. "I came to this amusement park because I wanted to be with you, not him. You're usually so rational, Kid. Why do you always do this when another boy so much as _glances _at me?" Maka sighed in defeat.

"Because," He grumbled, "Those guys shouldn't even _think_ about touching you. If they had any _decency _they would get their own girls or something. This is the third person to give you their number for ill intentions. I should take him into custody and give him the death penalty—""Folks! The _Silver Star _will now take its course! Hold on to your loved one and to your lunch! Have a good time." With an audible click, the rollercoaster started to advance slowly.

"For interrupting me." Kid finished with an angry growl. Maka giggled a little before putting her hand on his.

"Calm down, okay? Let's have fun." She gave him the most charming smile she could muster. He seemed to compose himself afterwards.

The rollercoaster started to go up what seemed like a ninety-degree angle. Maka gulped, wondering if this was such a good idea. She also speculated on where the others were sitting, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't looked earlier.

Maka glanced at the shinigami. Suppressed excitement danced in those big, yellow eyes of his. Of course he was going to like this. Kid always did ride on Beelzebub, way high into the sky. Maybe it wouldn't be as fast here, but Maka was sure her boyfriend would enjoy this more than she would.

A few minutes later, the rollercoaster creaked to a stop. Maka glanced to the side and saw how high up they were. She wasn't sure if she was imagining the clouds or not.

"I'm not so sure about this anymore…" Maka said, actually wishing she could fight the Kishin ten times over instead of this.

"Don't worry. I'm here for you." He smiled reassuringly. "If I could hug you right now, I would."

Maka gulped. A hug would be nice right now.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. I actually wanted to write a 'rollercoaster' one-shot as the last one of the series, so I could say at the end something like this: "We've been through a lot, there've been happy times and sad times, but it was certainly a fun twist." Heh. Anyways, a few questions you may have...**

**1. Yes, the _Silver Star _does exist. It's a rollercoaster in Europe somewhere that is pretty epic.**

**2. The quote is by Dr. Seuss, and I do not claim to own it.)**


	27. Jungle

_Jungle_

"How…How long have we been out here?" Maka panted, racing to keep up with Death the Kid. It had been many days since they'd seen anyone else in this jungle, and she was starting to lose hope. Kid wasn't much better. Their clothes were beginning to get ragged, and they weren't exactly what someone would call clean.

"I'm not sure…" His voice was even and clear, but he felt so much worse. As soon as they'd crash landed on this strange island, he'd had a bad feeling. Beelzebub wouldn't listen to him and Kid couldn't contact his father. They were completely and utterly lost.

"Why are you walking so fast? We're just getting water for camp, remember?" She whispered to him quietly. They'd known from experience not to be too loud in the jungle. Who knows what could come out.

"Yeah, I remember. I was just thinking about…you know…" He slowed down, an evident frown on his face.

"…Death City?" Maka supplied. She'd been thinking about it more often too. Mostly she'd wonder if their friends were still looking for them, and if her mother had even found out that she'd disappeared… Maka missed everything about that place; even _Black*Star_.

Kid didn't reply. He didn't need to; the answer was understood. Of course they both missed their friends and family. It was times like these that really made you realize how important the little things were to you.

"We're here." Kid said with the sole reasoning of avoiding silence. He'd learned the hard way that it was unbearable. Not talking to Maka here was like not breathing; you'd just go insane with the pressure over time. They'd gotten a lot closer over this period of time—much more than the entire time they'd known each other.

Maka didn't say anything and began to refill her water bottle in the clear lake. Kid looked around to make sure nothing was stalking them, and when Maka was done they switched roles. Predators always lurked around here. Maka brandished the makeshift wooden knife she'd made a while back. The fruit-filled trees blocked most sunlight, and it always seemed to make the place that much scarier.

Kid stood up and put the cap on his own water bottle. He held in a sigh. It was all so…meticulous. Nothing changed. Their lives were in constant danger and there was no break from it all. No escape from the harshness of reality.

"Kid…Do you think that we could stay here a while? We can defend ourselves if anything does show up. I think we could use some time away from camp." Kid realized that his sigh had gotten through. He mentally face-palmed, but was relieved that Maka didn't want to head back so soon.

The shinigami walked over to a nearby tree and slid down its trunk so he was sitting. He patted the ground next to him, and Maka followed suit.

This time, Kid was asking the question that Maka usually asked on a daily basis. The answer was never certain, and it did little to comfort either of them. "Do you think they're still looking for us?"

He stared at the ground in front of him, not entirely willing to see the heartbroken expression he was imagining would come with the obvious response.

Maka put a hand on his shoulder. She didn't have much hope at this point, but she knew she had to reassure him. They needed to be there for each other until they got out. _If _they got out.

"…I'm not sure. I don't think they'd give up very soon, but we just have to make sure we're ready when they do find us. We just have to be…patient." Maka frowned. The words sounded empty and shallow; exactly the way she felt at that moment.

Kid glanced at her before slowly making his move. He may have been desperate for another person's touch, but still… Maka was special. If he had gotten the choice to pick who got stranded on this island with him, it would be her. Kid maneuvered his arms around Maka and held her against his chest gently. The feel of another person so close, both physically and emotionally...It kept his fear at bay.

"If I'm going to be honest, Maka…I'm really nervous. I can't…do _this _anymore. I'm not even sure if I can keep one of us alive. I've never felt so…useless…" Maka could tell he was being genuine about this, and wasn't very surprised. He had acted so calm earlier, like there wasn't anything that could break him. Maka was able to put two and two together to come to the conclusion that he was just trying to keep all the pieces together. To make sure they wouldn't be completely without hope.

"It's okay…I'm nervous too… The fact that there's nothing I can do makes me feel so _pathetic_." Maka formed a fist and gripped at the air tightly, trying to dispose of some frustration. It never worked.

They didn't say anything else. Their feelings were left out in the open now—no subject had been avoided. It could make someone feel vulnerable, but it seemed to draw a connection between them; a certain closeness that neither had ever achieved before. It may have been a bad idea to trust someone so much, but it was humanity in its own right. All they could do now was to try to lick their wounds and try not to remember the aching reminder of what _was_.

This entire jungle—Maka had cursed it ten times over. Living on this secluded place with only Kid almost felt meaningless…It would be like surviving to be able to do more work tomorrow. Was it wrong of her to secretly despise this situation? If there was some sign that someone was looking for them; that somebody else actually _cared_…then she could actually let her soul rest. Maybe…Maybe that was why Kid couldn't summon Beelzebub. His soul wasn't sound—not in a place like this where the strong prevailed and the weak died. Where the fear of death was the only thing keeping him going.

A rustle in the bushes alerted both meisters. Both of their hearts quickened considerably as that same fear shot through them. Kid swallowed numbly before standing up. Maybe they'd stayed by the lake too long.

Maka waved her wooden knife experimentally as she too got onto her feet. The bushes weren't moving much—whatever was in there couldn't have been much bigger than a person. Maka wondered if maybe Soul and the others had found them? Were they finally saved?

A frog hopped out of the shrub, and disappointment hit Maka full-force. She had been so sure that someone was in there. Kid continued to stare at that same direction, which made her a little suspicious.

The shinigami didn't trust this situation. A frog jumping out of the hedge didn't make that much of a disturbance. Was it another monster-like thing born from this strange jungle? And why was the frog staring at them like that? Suddenly, things began to fall into place.

Maka was starting to understand too, but it was too late. There was a puff of smoke, and a familiar witch took its place.

"Medusa, I've found them, gecko!" It was Eruka Frog. Maka knew she should have recognized her, but the thought of someone coming to rescue them had seemed so much more appealing to her mind than a weird frog.

Another snake-like witch sauntered out of the brush with an almost demonic grin. "I didn't want to interrupt the heart-touching moment," She spoke sarcastically, "but I believe it's high time you were both taken out of the picture."

Only one question was going through Kid's head at that moment. How was she still alive?

Kid wasn't going to live long enough to figure it out.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: First things first, I'd like to point out something. We've reached twelve thousand views everyone! Thanks for all the continued support, and I hope I will continue to improve! (:**

**As for this one shot, I ended up projecting it as more of a...'helpless' piece. The idea of them being lost seemed to be different than the past one-shots in this collection, so I thought I'd give it a try. And since we've had a couple of happy ones beforehand, I decided to use a slightly...unsettling ending. Not to mention the fact that they didn't have weapons. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!)**


	28. Battle

_Battle_

"Maka, you can't give in!" Soul shouted to his meister. Maka gripped the handle of the scythe a little bit harder in anticipation. "H-Hey, that doesn't mean to strangle me."

Maka didn't reply. This battle required all of her focus. Mosquito, Arachne's loyal henchman, had come to exact his revenge on Death City and, specifically, the DWMA. Nobody was sure why he'd come for _them _when it was obvious that the Kishin was responsible for his master's death, but he was blinded with rage so there was no way to tell exactly what was going on in his mind.

"Watch out, Maka!" Soul's somewhat disturbed reflection glistened on the scythe's blade. Mosquito was fast in his younger state, but Maka was able to dodge his uppercut just barely. She felt the wind rush past her face.

She jumped back to gain some distance between herself and this monster. Her teammates, Black*Star and Death the Kid took the opportunity to distract him. It worked.

Maka took a deep breath, "Soul. We're doing_ the_ technique."

Her weapon's incredulous expression took up the length of the blade. "Witch Hunter?"

"No. _Genie _Hunter. We have to." She gritted her teeth in a flare of determination, "Are you ready for this?"

Maka could hear the mock exasperation in Soul's sigh. "Yeah, Maka. Let's do this."

She smirked. _That's what I like to hear._ They both began to charge up that familiar energy, and when it was up to a certain point, they shouted what came naturally. "Soul resonance!"

They were in complete sync. This was perfect—there was no wavelength that did not match that of the other. Their concentrated efforts were working; the magic energy was gathering in Soul, and Maka heard that familiar clinking sound when he was ready. Oh, how she loved to hear that sound.

"Genie Hunter!" Maka's teammates both heard her call and got away from Mosquito. The meister took a quick breathe before charging. The large insect-like man turned towards Maka made eye contact with her. He smiled wickedly.

She grasped Soul a little more nervously as she drew closer. "Concentrate, Maka!" He reminded her insistently. He could feel her focus slipping, and that could cost them the battle and even their lives.

Maka made no acknowledgement of his demand. She lifted the scythe higher with ease; Soul was as light as a feather in her hands, even in this form.

With surprising agility and self-assurance, Maka pressed down with all her might. Soul bore down on Mosquito's shoulder, slicing him easily, but what happened next was unexpected. The bulky man reached up with both hands and clasped onto Soul's blade, halting his descent.

"That won't work a second time, miss." Mosquito's smile only widened as his grip tightened. To Soul, it felt as if he were choking him. In the reflection of the blade, the weapon sputtered out blood.

Maka's confidence shattered in the same moment Soul did. Genie Hunter failed and the weapon was in his regular scythe form. The force of Genie Hunter being released sent Maka spiraling backwards. Mosquito's grin only grew with murderous intent. He pulled out Soul and began to bend the handle in half.

"Soul!" She cried out in horror, getting to her feet as fast as she could.

"Agh!" Soul gritted his teeth, but he couldn't cope with that much physical pain. He was forced into his human form and quickly lost consciousness.

Maka could only watch when the brute threw Soul away like a used toy. The weapon flew far off towards the DWMA's walls with a slam, and she felt a strong need to protect him well up within her. It was one of those unexplainable things that only weapon and meister partners felt for each other.

However, Maka knew that her other friends needed her more. Mosquito was still very much alive, and that was their trump card that just failed. None of Tsubaki's weapon modes were working at all, and both Liz and Patty's bullets were only flying off of him. Without a weapon, Maka was useless. But…wait…Maka thought back to her fight against the Kishin. Didn't she have weapon blood within her, too?

"What an annoying pest…" Mosquito reached out to Kid on Beelzebub and almost got a hold of him. Well, he would have if Liz and Patty hadn't transformed. Instead of getting the shinigami, the enemy had grabbed the two twins. Naturally, Kid tried to get them free. Annoyed, Mosquito swatted at him and managed to get hit Kid hard enough to knock him off balance. This was it. Their team was falling apart.

Maka was moving before she even knew it. Kid was her friend; she needed to make sure he didn't land on the cement too hard. "Black*Star! Keep him busy!" She threw orders over her shoulder, her eyes never leaving her falling comrade.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" The assassin remarked sarcastically. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Even he knew this was a risky situation.

"Tsubaki, smoke bomb mode." Black*Star felt the transition in his hand and proceeded to throw her up into the air. She exploded, leaving gray smoke in her place. However, this was part of the plan. She would change into an exact Black*Star clone to confuse Mosquito.

Maka was able to make it in time. She dove and, luckily, Kid ended up landing on her back. What she didn't think about, however, was how much that would hurt. Maka clenched her teeth in pain, but this was _nothing_ compared to what Soul was feeling.

Kid grunted and watched the scene in front of him. Mosquito squeezed his weapons until they, too, were unconscious. He knew they were still alive, but they weren't going to be able to continue the fight. He was weaponless. Kid wondered why the impact hadn't been so harsh, and his eyes widened when he heard a whimper.

"Maka? Are you okay?" The shinigami jumped off of her and helped her up.

"Yeah, just fine." She answered gruffly, "You didn't get hurt from the landing, did you?"

"No, thanks to you. What do we do now? We don't have any means to fight Mosquito, and there's no way Black*Star can beat him by himself." Kid grimaced at the thought of losing.

"This is going to sound stupid, but…" Maka glanced over at the smoky battlefield, "I have weapon blood."

"You do?!" Kid's eyes widened. Would he be able to wield her? If she was symmetrical, he wouldn't have an objection in the world.

"Yeah…But I've only half-transformed. Once. Back when I was fighting the Kishin by myself. I don't know if I can do it again…" Maka gripped onto her arm subconsciously, wondering if her partner was still okay.

"Would you two stop picking daisies?! I don't know if you noticed, but I'm kinda SINGLEHANDEDLY fighting off this dude!" Black*Star shouted as the smoke cleared. Maka glanced over only to see two Black*Stars. She knew right away that one of them was Tsubaki.

"He's right." Kid looked back at Maka with determination. "You have to try again. He won't last much longer."

Maka gulped and tried to concentrate. How would one become a weapon? She needed to go back to DWMA kindergarten and take a lesson. "How do I do this?"

"I-I don't know! I'm a meister, not a weapon… Think about how much you want to save Soul. Maybe that will trigger something," Kid suggested imploringly. He wasn't exactly sure about how to become a weapon, other than the textbook definition. And going by that, nobody would ever actually transform.

Maka concentrated on Soul, and about how much she cared for him. Something clicked inside of her; almost audibly. She did what Soul always did—Maka jumped into the air in a flash of light and transformed into a weapon fully. She was so surprised at how naturally this came to her.

"What am I?" She spoke aloud, curious of what weapon she was.

"I'm not sure… Looks like a double-ended scythe. I think it disconnects in the middle…" Kid mumbled, staring at her.

"Can you…wield me? We have to get back into the fight." Maka spoke nervously, "Besides, I don't know if I can change back now."

"If it's…symmetrical, yes." Kid tentatively picked Maka up. She was light. "Okay, it's possible." He muttered after finding out how to hold the weapon as two. _How does that even work? Did I just cut her in half?_

"That's…a really weird feeling." Maka grumbled to no one in particular, "Is this going to work?"

"Yes, I believe so." Kid smiled at the realization that he could still be symmetrical with a different weapon. He'd never used a scythe before, so this was new. He hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself against someone so skilled with it.

"What're you waiting for, Kid? Come on, let's go. It's now or never." She reminded him, and that was when he took off towards the rampaging Mosquito. It was a wonder that Black*Star had managed to keep him entertained for so long.

_It's now or never. Huh_. Kid's mind idly wandered despite his need to focus. _It's quite the motivational statement, but why do I feel content in this moment? Is it the fact that I'm wielding something new? _Some_one new? I'm not sure…_

"Kid, if you can throw one of…me…at his legs I can immobilize him. Do it when he's turned away!" Maka said quietly, but it sounded like she was yelling in his ear. Their souls resonated almost perfectly.

"Got it," He muttered, watching for an opportunity. Black*Star got the hint and started shouting at the giant. The assassin liked to hear his own voice.

"HEY YOU! Yeah you, ya fat ugly old and weak guy! You don't stand a chance against me, the mighty BLACK*STAR!" His cocky grin sealed the deal. Mosquito turned towards him with a scowl.

"Now!" Maka chanted, and Kid followed her instructions. Maka didn't know how she knew what she was doing or why she knew what to do, but it was coming to mind almost as easily as reading. Kid threw a single scythe aimed directly for the brute's legs and with a loud 'schwick,' both of them were sliced off.

Mosquito howled in pain and looked around with hatred written in his features. The scythe thrown stuck into one of the DWMA's walls, blood dripping. Maka felt like she was being stretched out, and it wasn't pleasant. Kid buried the thoughts of symmetry (even though they kept popping up!) and concentrated on keeping Maka in his grasp. Almost magnetically, the thrown scythe was trying to attract the second one.

"Kid…" Maka's voice was recognizably weaker, "Throw me at his head. Trust me." She knew this would end the battle effectively, and the sooner her ends met the better. (No pun intended.)

The shinigami caught this note in her voice and threw her straight towards Mosquito. The magnetic pull forced the second scythe to gain speed and made for deadly accuracy.

He didn't see it coming. The scythe went straight through his cranium like a knife through cake. The moment his head splattered, his entire body disintegrated into dust. Black*Star and Kid both caught their breath before hurrying over to their group of injured friends.

Everyone ended up okay, some more hurt than others, but nothing serious. It took Maka about three days to transform back to her human form, and her relationship with Kid only improved.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Kudos to Nymphadora for the basic idea! I made this longer since this was, mostly, a huge fight scene. There was more of a SoMa twist to it, but I think it turned out well. I really had no idea what to make Maka as a weapon, so this magnetic double scythe thing kinda just...happened. I hope you liked it nonetheless. Let me know what you thought!) **


	29. Insanity

_Insanity_

Was there a point to this? Oh, yes, there most certainly was. It was one of the most wonderful of points, too. She was allowed to do as she pleased without those mortal restraints like _fear_ and _pain_.

And right now, what she wanted to do most was wipe that confident smirk off of that shinigami's face. How did he get the right to act so arrogant? SHE should be the one with that cocky little smile!

Her already stretched grin threatened to split her in half, and yet it looked so natural. Almost like it belonged there. And it should. Maka thought of her 'partner-party-pooper' that did not want her to use the black blood. _He _didn't fit in. And he shouldn't.

"So, are you just gonna stand there?" She giggled behind a gloved hand, shifting to her other foot. Her overcoat's long wispy end fluttered behind her every movement.

"As much as I like my women a little crazy, I don't think this is the time or the place, Maka." Kid's smile didn't waver, but she didn't mind.

"Aww, come on, let's have some fun," her body bent in half at the waist.

"I'm afraid the black blood has gotten to you, Mak—"Within two seconds, she was right in front of him, and her fist had connected with his nose. It was a powerful punch that sent him spiraling backwards.

Maka straightened herself up with a maniacal smile as she cracked her knuckles. "Let's dance, pretty boy."

Kid pushed himself up from the ground with one arm, the other checking on his nose. It was bloody, and obviously broken. His face twisted into a grimace, and Maka's smile only widened with murderous intent.

"I don't want to fight you." He stated. Maka carelessly looked over a shoulder and jabbed a finger behind her at the white haired 'partner-party-pooper.'

"That's exactly what he said! Isn't that _funny_? You'll end up the same, too!" She giggled at the thought. _Everything_ was funny.

"Don't… Don't do it." The shinigami warned with a steely glare. "Or you'll end up hurt."

Maka stomped on the ground a few times just to be moving. "Hehe, look at your bloody nose! It's _pretty_, but not as good as mine!" He looked at her strangely for a moment before his eyes widened. She brought a fist up to her own nose, breaking it in a similar manner. Comically, she was sent flying by her own blow. Unlike Kid, however, she landed on her feet with a huge grin not unlike that of a four year old getting his first tooth fairy visit.

"Isn't it great?" She wiped some of the black blood off on her hand and, despite the distance, pointed it at him so he could see. Her smile went away out of nowhere, though, and a strangely calm expression took its place.

"I'm bored. And hungry. You look like you might taste good." She squinted before practically reappearing behind him. She licked his ear. "There's only one way to tell…"

He shivered. Maka's grin kept on growing the longer he stayed still. Although waiting was not her forte, this was far too amusing to pass up.

"Sorry, Maka…" Her expression quickly twisted into confusion at the strange reply. He leaned away slightly before bringing his head back with full force, bashing her already broken nose.

The girl fell, and pretended to be asleep. She could feel the blood dripping from the mutilated bone, but that wasn't important at the moment. Besides, she didn't care for pain. She heard him sigh and could barely contain the smile from breaking through. Maka wanted to come alive and laugh in his face for such a sorry attempt, but the promise of fun to be had kept her still.

Footsteps. Towards her. He probably thought she was unconscious. Maka felt excitement surge through her at the prospect of his heartbroken expression—how could she bring that about? Perhaps the ending of her very own partner, Soul? Or…herself? Maka felt the fun inside her double at the idea of seeing her own crestfallen appearance as well as his—and lifeless. Pale. All good things in life (and death) were meant to be destroyed. Why? For the fun, of course!

Maka's eyes snapped open and she jumped up with a giddy smile. This would be great! He was already making a funny face!

"You're not unconscious?" Kid blinked and took a step back. Perfect. Maka formed a fist and punched herself in her nose, breaking it again. She stumbled back, cross-eyed to see her own blood. She loved to see it—more than anything.

"What are you doing?" The shinigami moved as if to stop her, but she lifted her fist threateningly.

Maka giggled. "I want to have fun!" Something caught her eye and she glanced to the side. Broken glass littered the floor from when she'd knocked Soul out. She knelt down slowly and picked a relatively sharp one, inspecting it. Her eyes shook with insanity.

"Are you stupid? Put that down!" Kid took another step towards her, and she raised the glass.

"I wonder what face I'll make," Maka's hands shook, "when I cut myself open." She squeezed the glass so hard that blood seeped through her gloves and dripped onto the floor. And yet, she still had a smile.

Kid lunged at her as a last-minute defense. Maka dodged with a quick step to the side, an outstretched leg placed where she was less than a second ago. The shinigami tripped on this and was sprawled on the floor. He rolled over as fast as he could, but it was too late.

With both hands, Maka stretched the sharp object as far away as possible from her before pulling it back with full-force. She aimed at her stomach, and the blade cut through with surprising ease. Blood was splattering out immediately.

Maka pressed her hands to the wound and pulled away the stained hands. "Isn't it…Isn't it pretty?" Her blood resembled that of a printer's ink, but when she looked back down her clothes were tinged red.

"W-…What?" Her eyes widened and she touched the blood more insistently, inadvertently pushing the glass in further. It was crimson. Her smile appeared broken, and in hopes of returning it to its full vigor she looked up at the shinigami.

Kid's eyes were wide and he was staring straight at the glass. More blood dropped down; the black blood wasn't healing her wounds. He seemed transfixed, and even though his expression was what she'd wished for, it wasn't what she wanted.

Hand shaking, she reached back down to the protruding glass.

"D-Don't do it! You'll bleed out!"

Maka grasped it and pulled it out anyway. She winced in pain as red liquid sputtered out. That wasn't her concern, though. Maka wiped the blackish scarlet from the glass and moved it so she could see her reflection.

"T-…That's funny. Ha…Ha, I look funny. Do…Do you see me?" Her vision got fuzzy around the corners. Maka's eyes lost color and she fell over slowly. The last thing she saw was the shinigami jumping up, and the ground rushing up to meet her.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for getting this out so late! I got really sick recently, a lot of new documents to edit from other authors, and also wanted to get this 'insane' edition out on exactly this date. So... I hope all of you aren't angry with me, and that this chapter was good enough for you. Also, I should be able to get another one out either tomorrow or the next day. Thanks for reading!) **


	30. Distractions

_Distractions_

"N-No, Maka… I'm driving…" Kid gripped the steering wheel of his father's jet black Ferari a little harder than necessary. Maka giggled, breathing into the ear closest to her.

"Come on…"

"No, we're going thirty-five miles an hour on this road and I don't want us to wreck and end up really hurt when we could've been perfectly fine otherwise if you'd just…" His words grew quieter and quieter until they were nothing more than unintelligible rambling. Maka licked the outer shell of his ear, eliciting a gasp.

Maka laughed airily, sending shivers down his spine. "M-Maka, you know I hate that…" He trailed off when her teeth lightly brushed over that same ear. She pulled away slightly to speak.

"That I've only been working on one ear? I can change that." She smiled and undid the seatbelt button, already moving closer to him. Kid shifted to the side so he could still see the road, but she kept blocking his vision. The commotion caused the car to swerve onto the other side of the street, but the shinigami was able to get back in his lane.

"Maka! We could've gotten killed just now!" He hissed, but Maka only giggled. She dismissed his statement easily with a half-lidded look.

"Where were we?"

Kid gulped, trying to pay attention to the highway. Maka's hand travelled down his chest teasingly before going back up. Kid was finding it hard not to like what she was doing, and the fact that people were passing by and could see them only enhanced this. Maka, on the other hand, was having fun with how much he was trying to keep the car on the road, even if his eyes kept darting back at her.

"You're drunk," Kid stated bluntly, "S-Stop doing this. I just need to get you home and go back to the mansion to clean up the party before Shinigami-sama sees it."

"No, I'm not," She pressed a finger to his lips, "And where's the fun in that? We're alone, in a nice ride, on a Saturday night after a party, and nobody would know. Why else would you… would you take me home?"

"Put your seatbelt back on, and you are drunk. You had too much beer at that party."

Bright headlights returned Kid's attention to the road ahead of him. Maka saw it too, along with what kind of car they belonged to. A police car. Maka hurriedly threw on her seatbelt. The officer passed with a wave, obviously not noticing the momentary absence of it.

Kid smiled nervously and returned the gesture, hoping he wasn't headed to the off-kilter party. He glared at Maka a second later.

"We could've been pulled over!"

"But we weren't." Maka reached over and started to unbutton Kid's coat eagerly, unaware that the mood was lost. However, she seemed to have retained it.

Kid was breathing deeper now, trying (and failing) to ignore what she was doing to him. This wasn't right. She was drunk and wouldn't remember anything in the morning. Their safety was at risk now, too. They hadn't gone very far in their relationship yet, and he intended to do it right. He was a gentleman; something like this was uncouth.

The corners of his vision were starting to get hazy. He didn't realize he was panting with his eyes closed until he heard another car honk. Kid was falling in and out of concentration, and it was almost unbearable.

Maka, on the other hand, was enjoying the noises he was making. She hadn't really done anything yet, but he definitely liked it. She bit his neck lightly.

This wasn't safe. Kid couldn't deal with this much longer. He was a great driver by all means, but when being distracted so thoroughly by someone who knew what he wanted… well… That was a different story.

Kid noticed a turning lane, and signaled over. He only sped by about twenty miles into the empty parking lot of a random convenience store. The shinigami wasn't sure where he'd stopped, but nobody was around.

He looked over at Maka lustfully. "Let's get into the backseat."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or any of its characters.**

**(Author's Notes: With the disclaimer out of the way, I have a few things I'd like to say. First off, this was a little saucier than some of my other oneshots, and shorter. Sorry about that, but I was running out of things to write about in this one. The next one I'm planning will be a Christmas special, so look forward to that! Also, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are awesome. :)**


	31. Christmas Special

_Christmas Special_

"As you can see, Liz… I can't find the perfect gift." Kid sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was only a few more hours until he planned on meeting Maka for their Christmas date. It was snowy, too, which would make for the perfect setting for a certainly perfect gift exchange… If he could only find the right present.

"I know, I know…" Liz buried her face in her hands, deep in thought. "It has to be something thoughtful and from the heart."

"A book?" He suggested.

"No. That's something you get for a friend—not someone you love." Liz said knowingly. She'd been in a few relationships in the past, and knew her stuff on the subject. Usually she'd be the one getting the presents, so she wasn't exactly sure how to help him.

"It's too late for me to make something…" Kid breathed in deeply. Liz bit her thumb in contemplation. Patty just so happened to bound into the living room with a huge smile on her face.

"Why not give her the perfect gift?! Yourself!" Both Liz and Kid stared incredulously at the cheerful weapon. Had she really just said that?

"Patty…" Liz began cautiously, "I don't think you know what you're talking about."

The younger Thompson sister walked into the room fully and hugged the other weapon. "Don't know what I'm talking about? He just needs to do something nice for Maka, that's all."

Patty took a step back and gave Liz a funny look. "What were you thinking about?"

The elder sister plastered on a smile. "Oh, nothing… Don't worry about it…"

Kid ignored them for a moment. Perhaps he _could_ do a kind gesture. Maka would be able to appreciate something like that, right?

"Maybe I could combine a gesture and a gift?" The shinigami's brows furrowed in concentration.

Liz was quick to agree. "That would be great, actually! You just have to figure out what you're going to buy, what you're going to do on the date, and get ready within the next two hours!"

Death the Kid slumped down.

"Hey, you can do it!" Patty giggled, patting her meister on the back, "No matter what she'll love you, right?"

"Anyway, Kid, you'd better get moving now. You'll need all the time you've got." Liz practically shoved him out of the Gallows Mansion with a smile. "Good luck, now!"

She slammed the door in his face and watched him until he flew away. Liz turned back to Patty with a devious grin. "Now that he's gone… I can finally call Soul! Patty, would you mind going out and playing in the snow for a while?"

"A-Okay, sis!" Patty jumped out of the house happily.

* * *

Kid got off of Beelzebub once he was in the shopping district of Death City. "I've got an hour and forty-five minutes to get this done. I can do it…" The shinigami immediately (thinking of regular women) headed to a jewelry store.

He looked through the many different bracelets, earrings, and even rings as he tried to decide what he should get for his girlfriend. Kid had a neutral expression as the storekeeper showed him dozens of his best items. He almost wanted to yawn.

However, just as he was about to excuse himself from this complete waste of time, the man showed him something that really caught his attention. It was a simple, silver necklace with a green emerald as the main jewel. It was small, and the gem was shaped into a heart. Kid imagined it really bringing out her eyes.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have shown you this one, good sir. I don't think it suits your tastes…" The shopkeeper was already moving to put it away.

"No, it's good. I would like to purchase it." Kid pulled out his wallet and fished out a good sum of cash. The man's mouth dropped at the amount, and his eyes widened considerably.

"Keep the change." The shinigami gently took the jewelry's case and put it in his pocket. The cashier closed his mouth and managed to speak.

"Y-You're sure? That's quite a bit more than the price!" Kid smiled and shook his head.

"Yes, keep it." He walked out of the store with his hands in his pockets. The shinigami decided that he wanted to get something other than just a necklace, so he continued to go through the various wares. He came across several different places, and managed to buy at least one item from each. So far, he'd collected a bundle of roses, the necklace, chocolate, and even a gift card for a nearby book store. Honestly, the shinigami wasn't sure exactly what to get her, so he ended up getting more than he should.

Kid checked the clock—he still had an hour left until he'd be meeting her. Now that he had the gifts, he just had to get ready and think of something romantic he could do. The shinigami summoned Beelzebub and took off back to his mansion, mentally going over his time consumption.

_It take fifteen minutes to get to the mansion, fifteen minutes to get back to town where I'll be meeting Maka… That leaves me thirty minutes to get ready. That's…not very much time. I'll end up asymmetrical! And if I'm late it will definitely not be romantic… _Kid fretted within his own mind. _But it would be even more revolting if I was disgusting and not symmetrical._

The shinigami flew a little faster towards his home, getting there five minutes early. He didn't even raise an eyebrow at Patty, who was smashing a snow giraffe with her bare hands. Usually he would make a sly remark at her strange behavior, but this time he didn't have time. Kid made his way inside and up the stairs. He could hear Liz talking (supposedly on the phone) in the living room, but he didn't have a moment to spare.

Kid got behind a mirror and was immediately straightening out his suit and hair. _Everything _had to be completely symmetrical. Uneven amount of eyelashes? Taken care of. One sleeve longer than the other? Fixed. Three Sanzu Lines covering only half of his head? Ignored.

Time always went by fast when he got behind a mirror. Perfection was his middle name—Death the Perfectionist Kid. Maybe. It had a ring to it, he had to admit.

But he still didn't know what he would do for her! It had to be absolutely perfect with no flaws whatsoever. Seeing as how he'd be meeting her outside at the park, he could give her the flowers right away with a nice smile. Good idea. _Oh, and the chocolate_, Kid mentally added. Then, he could take her around town. When it got darker, he could take her around town on Beelzebub so they could see the lights underneath them. She'd hold him a little tighter up there, and he'd be on Cloud Nine. When they did land, he'd be romantic and tell her how much he loved her before putting the necklace around her neck. She'd smile, and it'd be a perfect moment. Only the best for Death the Kid and his girlfriend. They'd kiss, and then—

"Gah!" Kid leaned in closer to his mirror, his eyes intently staring at a stray hair slightly out of line. "I'm not symmetrical anymore!" He glared at it before blowing up at it. The strand remained adamant and did not move. He reached up both hands and pushed it to the side, finally fixing his hair.

"That's better… I was having such a wonderful daydream, too…" Kid glowered at his reflection as if it had wronged him. He cracked a smile though, convincing himself that he'd be able to live through those exact same events. He checked his symmetry once more before dismissing himself to go meet Maka. Oddly enough, he was right on time.

Kid ignored Liz's overjoyed laughter as he walked out of the door. He could tell her about it later. Besides, she seemed a little busy with whomever she was speaking with.

The shinigami passed by Patty with a curt nod. "I'll be back in a bit, Patty. Be safe, and keep Liz out of trouble, okay?"

The blonde giggled at this. "Sure, boss!" Kid smiled, but blushed after her next statement. "You too, though, make sure you and Maka stay safe!"

He whirled around with a skeptical look on his face. "What're you…?" He shook his head. "You've been watching too much television. No more late night movies."

"What?!" Patty jumped up, teary-eyed. "It's Christmas, Kid! You couldn't possibly do something like that now! _Our_ family hasn't even exchanged presents yet!"

Kid sighed, not willing to deal with this right now. He did feel a little bad for restricting something on a holiday like this, too. "Whatever, Patty. Do what you want, but stop with these references… At least have some decency."

"What references?" She sounded so serious at that moment, that Kid had to believe that she really was oblivious. She really was a strange girl.

Kid shook his head and summoned Beelzebub once more. "I'll be back soon, Patty."

"You haven't answered my question yet, Kid!" The shinigami didn't reply, and instead took off flying. Patty was a great weapon, but she could be very annoying._ Especially_ when she got so naïve. But seeing as how it was Christmas day, he had to give her a break and let her do what she wanted. Besides, he'd be giving her a stuffed giraffe later (if she hadn't already found it), so he didn't want to get on her bad side. Who knew how many nights he'd be spending crying if he did.

It didn't take as long as he'd thought to get to the park. Strangely, he'd gotten there first. Usually Maka got there a little ahead of him, but that was not the case this time. Kid landed and waited next to the bench, taking out the flowers and chocolates. This was going to be the perfect holiday.

Kid heard Maka before he'd seen her. "Hey, Kid."

The shinigami turned towards the voice and was momentarily stunned. The snow framed her face perfectly, and there was not a single flaw (symmetrical or otherwise) on her. She'd let her hair down, and it definitely looked good. Maka wore a small fluffy coat over a long, white shirt that reached mid-thigh, and from there she wore skinny jeans. She had her regular shoes on, but it looked so natural on her. If anybody else tried this same outfit, Kid was sure it would look very out of place and strange.

Kid said the only thing he could possibly think of: "Wow."

Maka smiled with a small laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment."

The shinigami was quick to recover his wit. Some of it, anyway. He maneuvered the items in his hands and held them out bashfully. "I got you some roses and chocolate."

The female meister took them gently. She had a lopsided grin that didn't even annoy Kid the slightest. "Thank you."

Kid gingerly took one of her hands (the other was occupied by his gifts) and intertwined their fingers. "Ready to go?"

She gently squeezed, still adorned with that adorable smile. "Yeah, I am."

They talked throughout their walk, but most of it was done in silence. Kid kept stealing looks at her gorgeous form. He was used to her covering herself up, and now that she was subtly trying to look cute… Even the slightest little enhancement was too much for him. She even put on a little makeup. She obviously didn't want to overdo it, (she always commented on those girls who seemed to drown themselves in it) and it worked wonders.

Maka was very aware of his glances, and it was starting to make her feel a little nervous. The gifts he'd given her were very heartfelt, and she was already having fun. Spending time with him always had that effect on her. And on her favorite holiday? She was glad it was snowing; it made everything ten times more beautiful. Even Kid's mostly black and white clothes seemed to stand out against the colorless substance.

It started to get dark sooner than expected. Kid was ready to enact the second part of his plan, pushing the necklace box deeper into his pocket. "Maka…"

"Yes?" She looked expectantly at her boyfriend. They stopped walking, and the crowd of other couples seemed to mold around them, giving both Kid and Maka their space.

"Would you like to see something…pretty?" He chose his words carefully, his eyes glued to the ground. He was afraid that if he looked at her he wouldn't be able to speak correctly.

Maka took a moment to process the question. With the way he'd said it, it almost seemed like he was hiding something. She decided to trust him, however. "That sounds fun."

The shinigami smiled slightly before tugging her away from the city gently. He summoned Beelzebub when they had enough space, got on, and offered his hand to her. Hesitantly, Maka took it and held onto him to keep her balance. The female meister's large shoes helped with this, but it was a good excuse to hold onto Kid.

He slowly rose into the air, making sure Maka was okay with the height. Already, the lights looked great. He started to gradually move over the town so they'd get a better view. The snow really made the radiance even brighter, but it was nothing compared to how Maka's face lit up. Kid was glad he'd done this.

Maka was having the time of her life. This was magnificent! She'd never seen something better than this, and the fact that she was with the person she loved the most… Best night ever.

Eventually, Kid decided to move on to the next portion of the 'perfect' date. He neared the ground, and Maka jumped off with a smile. Strangely, she wasn't cold at all. Beelzebub disappeared in a flash, and the shinigami turned back to Maka. He took a few steps so they were closer together.

Kid pulled out the box and opened it up with a charming smile. Maka's eyes were glued on the necklace, and he was quick to maneuver it around her neck. He was able to get it on easily, but took his time. His hands both still lingered on her neck. The gem really did bring out her eyes.

"Merry Christmas…" He muttered, not really paying attention to what he was saying. He was too busy admiring her.

Maka giggled. She could tell he wasn't really in the conversation. "Merry Christmas to you, too."

He smiled briefly, and the temptation was too much. Kid leaned in and pressed his lips against Maka's. It was heartfelt and slow, but was also passionate. Maka's arms made their way around his lower back and held him tightly. When they broke apart, their breath was easily visible in the air.

"This was the best Christmas I've ever had." Kid admitted with a blush. He felt indecent looking at her when she was like this.

Maka sighed blissfully, hugging him back. "Me too. I actually have a present for you, too."

* * *

**(Author's Notes: I don't want to sound silly, but I really think I've done well with this one. This is a Christmas Special for all of you who certainly love your holidays, and also, I did my very best to celebrate 15,000 views! Hooray! Thanks for all the support everyone, and I hope to do more like this one. Let me know what _you _thought. :)**


	32. Argument

_Argument_

"I _told _you Soul got that for me! Don't throw it away!" Maka gritted her teeth angrily. She _knew _Kid would react like this. Even if one of her guy friends gave her something simple like a pencil, he would get upset. The female meister didn't even understand _why_, and that made her even madder.

"He shouldn't be getting you anything in the first place!" Kid fumed. He'd had it up to _here _with all these boys hitting on _his _girlfriend, regardless of who it was. Soul was his friend, but it was so plainly _obvious _that he had feelings for Maka, no matter what he said. Maka just couldn't see that for some reason.

"He's my _weapon_! We're _friends_! A stuffed animal isn't even that big of a deal!" Maka's voice rose threateningly. Kid didn't take the hint.

"Which is _why _it shouldn't matter if I throw it out!" Kid held out the little teddy bear towards the trash can. Maka reached for it.

"It's important to me; Soul never gets anybody a present. Besides, why do you even care?" She muttered, still trying to obtain the plush.

"Because you're my girlfriend!"

"What does that even mean?"

Kid groaned. Maka couldn't be _this _oblivious, could she? He knew that she had a one track mind, but seriously?

Maka took this chance to snatch the toy away from him, but Kid was quick to get it back.

"This _thing _shouldn't even exist! It's asymmetrical and cheap; just look at its uneven button eyes!" The shinigami glared at the sad looking animal. Maka scoffed.

"It was a nice gesture, and I think it's cute!"

"What?! Asymmetry is _cute_ to you? I suppose that means you think Soul is, too!"

"What if I did?!"

"You wouldn't." He growled. His voice was so low and practically dared her to say otherwise. Maka's eyes narrowed at him. Unfortunately, she wasn't one to back down.

"I would."

Kid squeezed the doll so hard that it almost popped. He dropped it on the floor and turned towards the door. "Keep your stupid stuffed animal if it means that much to you."

* * *

The shinigami walked out into the snowstorm without looking back. Maka didn't make a move for a long time. She finally tore her gaze away from the door and back to the little bear sitting on the floor, staring up at her. It looked even more miserable now. Maka slowly sat down and picked up the animal. She pulled her knees into her chest and cried.

_I can't believe she chose _him _over me. He's…He's…Gragh! Irritating! _Kid thought angrily. He wasn't sure exactly where he was going, but felt like he needed to get out of there. As far as he was concerned, she could keep the stupid doll and Soul, but he wouldn't be there. It was either him or that meaningless present—and she'd picked the bear. Why? He'd given her plenty of stuffed animals probably ten times more expensive and overall _better _than what Soul had given her. It just… It made him so…_furious_!

Kid couldn't see very well. The snow was coming down harder and harder. It was almost blinding. He would've used Beelzebub, but he was really just out to blow some steam.

"Why does she have to be so…so…I don't know—dense!" The shinigami kicked at the snow. It was getting rather cold…

Kid could see his breath forming in the air. He wasn't sure what the argument meant for their relationship, but had a feeling it could only bring bad things. The shinigami decided he'd just wait until she came to talk to him to sort things out, but this was the worst fight yet. They'd had similar quarrels before, but this one was serious. It was heated and there was…resentment there.

Now that he had time to think, he wondered if he'd been in the wrong. Maybe he could still salvage something by apologizing, even if he was right. Was he? Kid couldn't tell. Perhaps he'd overreacted.

What was Maka doing now? Was she throwing his stuff out into the street? Was she calling Tsubaki and telling her about the argument? Whatever she was doing, Kid could only speculate.

The shinigami didn't see what happened next. He only remembered tumbling down a large hill, and being blinded with white.

* * *

Maka wasn't sure how long she was crying for. All she could think about was how pathetic she was, and how stupid Kid could be.

She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jacket. "Ugh, why do I care about this? I didn't do anything wrong, so why do I feel like I have?"

The little bear stared at her unblinkingly. Not that it could blink, but it seemed to be telling her something. Its sad little eyes wouldn't stay out of her head.

"What? What do you want me to do?!" She glared at the animal accusingly, "I didn't do anything wrong, so stop looking at me like that! I-I… You can't expect me to…to apologize for him being a jerk!"

The teddy bear only stared. "You can't be serious!"

Maka sniffled. "Okay, maybe you have a point. I don't like Soul, but I do like Kid. What you're saying is that I need to do what I can so we don't break up?"

The bear didn't say anything. "I think you're right… But how can I find him?"

The stuffed animal did nothing. "Wait…why am I talking to a teddy bear? Whatever… I need to find Kid if he hasn't used Beelzebub…"

Maka was out looking for Kid, but she couldn't find him anywhere. The snowstorm was getting worse by the minute, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to find the shinigami.

There were small footsteps still visible in the snow, so Maka decided to follow those. They were disappearing fast, though, so she had to move quickly.

The snow was covering the indents up even faster than before, and she found herself running. At some point, they disappeared, so she ended up sprinting as fast as she could. That wasn't a good idea.

She slipped on a particularly faulty piece of snow, and fell down a huge hill. It seemed like someone else had gone through the exact same path, as it was smoother than Maka would have thought. When she finally stopped moving, she hit something soft. Maka winced as the air was knocked out of her, but rolled over to see what she'd landed on.

It was Kid. Snow had started to pile over him, but he was still clearly visible. He looked paler than usual. Maka wondered how long he'd been out here, but it was only a passing thought in the mess of her mind.

"Kid? A-Are you still alive?" She brushed all the snow off of him and felt for a heartbeat. He still had one. Maka took her gloves off and threw them to the ground before pressing her hands to his cheeks, trying to wake him. He was really cold.

"You have to wake up! You can't sleep here! You can't!" Maka said louder than necessary. There wasn't really any need to be noisy in this environment, as there was no other sound for miles, but the meister was panicking. Her voice almost seemed to echo.

"Kid, Kid, Kid, listen to me. You gotta wake up now. I can't carry you up this hill, and I don't think anyone's around… Why didn't I bring my phone?!" Maka bit her lip, "Is anyone up there? Help! Someone's fainted and…and… Oh, what's the use…"

She sighed before looking back at the shinigami. "Maybe I have to bring him back like I did with Soul when we were fighting the Kishin…" She muttered. Maka pulled him onto her lap and leaned down until their foreheads were touching.

"I'm sorry for fighting with you…" She whispered before delving into his mind.

Luckily, they both survived with only minor injuries that would heal. They learned to treasure each other more, as you never know what your last words to that person might be.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Special thanks to Dtksgirl for the idea of this one-shot. I do take suggestions for them, so don't be afraid to let me know! If I like what you've suggested, then I'll write it out and credit for the idea. Anyway, this one took me a while, seeing as how I couldn't come up for a good reason for them to be arguing. I hope you liked it, regardless! :)**


	33. Rival

_Rival_

"You really want to do this?" Kid asked uneasily. Maka gave the string a quick tug to secure its tightness.

"Of _course_, Kid! Black*Star's always pulling a fast one, and he talks like he's better than everyone else anyway." She jumped off the chair to inspect her handiwork. The two heard footsteps coming towards the door from the other side. "Quick, hide!" Maka whispered.

Both meisters jumped behind a nearby desk in their classroom, waiting patiently. The door started to slide open, and Black*Star's face appeared. The bucket atop the door slipped from its place and spilled hot water all over the assassin.

Black*Star let out a yelp at the scare, promptly turning red. His angry gaze scanned the room, "W-Who's there?"

Maka couldn't hold in her laughter. She stood up with a grin, "Gotcha, Black*Star!"

He scowled. "Maka! When did you… get so cool? That was pretty legit!" He then had a smirk, "Almost as good as my pranks! Remember that one I pulled on Stein? It was worth that ten page essay you did for me."

"Speak for yourself for once!" Maka laughed, "Professor Stein almost caught me, and I'm never doing that again!"

"That's what you said the first time, and… wait, Kid's here?" Black*Star's scowl returned.

"Yeah, I am." The shinigami stood up and looked at the other meister coldly.

Maka wasn't sure why, but the two boys seemed to be distancing themselves apart recently, and their friendship was straining.

Kid, however, knew exactly what the problem was.

* * *

_Death the Kid watched as his crush walked out of the room before glaring at Black*Star. "I know what you're doing."_

"_And what's that?" Black*Star's tantalizing voice rang out surprisingly loud within the classroom. They were the last ones there._

"_You like Maka. It's obvious." Kid crossed his arms over his chest. Black*Star had an infuriating half-smirk. _

"_So what if I do? It's not like she's yours." His sarcasm seeped through his words._

"_She's not yours, either." Kid's eyes narrowed slightly._

"_I can change that pretty fast." Black*Star cracked his knuckles threateningly._

"_Don't get in my way," Kid smoothed out his suit, "Because you won't win."_

"_You wanna bet on that, shinigami? I'll beat you down just like the first day I met you." Kid felt himself bristle in response to this comment, but he kept his cool. _

"_You're sadly mistaken if you think you won that battle. I'm a much more compatible match for Maka, unlike you. Everything you have, I have more."_

"_WHAT?! No you don't! I'm a bigger man than you are! You just wait, Kid, I'll show you—Maka's my kinda girl, not yours!"_

* * *

Kid gritted his teeth at the memory. He'd gotten closer to Maka, but so had Black*Star. Although, the assassin had done it in a sneaky way, such as those pranks he'd been playing out to impress Maka. The shinigami had even found them flirting! _Flirting_! But she didn't even know she was doing it.

Black*Star, on the other hand, was annoyed by how much stuff Kid gave Maka. One day, he'd happened upon Kid making a move towards her lips! Of _course _Black*Star wouldn't let it happen; he punched Kid in the cheek—hard.

"Why don't you get going? I want to catch up with Maka." Black*Star had a small frown as he gave Kid a warning look. The shinigami didn't back down.

"_We're_ hanging out right now. Maybe you can check on her later."

"I think you've had your time. My turn."

"I refuse to listen to your idiocy."

"What'd you call me?!"

"GUYS!" Maka glared at both boys, and they fell silent. "What's your problem? You're both acting like jerks to each other!"

Fire welled up within both of them as if they hadn't heard Maka at all. Black*Star cracked his knuckles.

"You know what, Kid? Let's finish this. Winner takes all—though we already know it's gonna be me."

Kid met his questioning gaze with determination. "We'll see who's crying. No weapons."

"Like Tsubaki would fight with me."

"Shut up."

Black*Star growled. Maka looked between them, confused, but she didn't get a chance to connect the dots. Kid made the first move—a punch square in the nose. Black*Star flew back and hit a desk, but recovered quickly.

In no time, they were rolling around with each other, landing punches and kicks. Maka was trying to stop them, getting increasingly angry as time wore on.

"Stop it, now!" They didn't listen. Bruises and scratches started accumulate, but Kid seemed to have the upper hand. Black*Star was taunting him with names and snarky remarks that did their job perfectly, distracting him.

"Shut _up_!" Kid kicked Black*Star off of him with a loud smack. He scrambled up and pinned the assassin, punching him hard.

"_She's. Not. Yours!" _ He punctuated each word with a punch. Just when he was about to land another one, an unfamiliar hand grasped his shoulder and firmly pulled him upwards.

"Hey, man! What's wrong with you?!" Soul shouted in his face, "And you too, Black*Star!"

The shinigami, still in fight-mode, reached over to smack Black*Star, but Soul punched him before he could. He hit the floor loudly.

"You guys need to calm down! What the hell made you fight like that?" Kid's nose bled from the impact. Black*Star pounced for Kid with some last minute strength he'd collected, but Maka stopped him easily with a chop. His head was bleeding.

"Soul's right! How could you fight like that in front of me?!" Maka's eyes had fire burning within them. The two boys felt compelled to look away, still feeling hatred for the other.

"Whatever." Black*Star muttered angrily, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Whatever? This isn't whatever! Why were you fighting?!" The assassin snapped upright and got in her face.

"I was fighting for _you_! Ugh! What the hell am I doing here…?!" He averted his gaze before running out of the room. Both Maka and Soul's brows furrowed.

"I'll go talk to him. You take care of this guy." Soul motioned towards the sitting shinigami absently before taking off after Black*Star.

Maka watched Soul leave before turning back to Kid with a huff. He was staring at the floor in front of him, not caring for his nosebleed.

"What did he mean by fighting for me?" Her questioning gaze was now focused on the shinigami. He didn't say anything. "Well?" Maka's stern voice echoed.

"This." Both of his hands reached up to Maka's arms and yanked her down. She let out a yelp in surprise, but it was quickly muffled by Kid's lips. His eyes were closed, but Maka's flew open.

It was over just as quickly as it had started. He pulled away with a sigh before sitting up and walking out the door.

Maka couldn't help but wonder what had just happened.

She chased after him.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Writer's block already? Oh no! :( I'll try not to take so long next time... As for my comments on this chapter, I figured I should give Black*Star a little more love. Or a fight. Besides, we all know from the first time those two met there was a little hostility between them. And Soul? Had to give him a good role, 'cause I was in a good mood. :P Hope you liked this chapter!)**


	34. Friend-Zoned Out

_Friend-Zoned Out_

"I'll _never_ get out of the friend zone…" Kid slumped down on his sofa. Liz was painting her nails on the opposite loveseat.

"I'm sure you can do it." She said absently. The shinigami shot her a look.

"_No_, you should've heard what she said today! 'Thanks, Kid, you're the best friend I've ever had! Soul will definitely like this present!'" He quoted perfectly, ending with a melancholic sigh.

"Oh," Liz bit her lip, "Okay. That was pretty cut and dry, there."

"Yeah, I know." He dropped his head onto his hands, rubbing his temples. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do anymore."

"You can do it. If anything, just be a good friend, and maybe you'll get out of the friend zone. Maybe Soul doesn't like her like that."

She was right.

* * *

"I-I can't… _believe _this! He… He rejected me, Kid! S-Soul…" Maka was _sobbing_. It hurt the shinigami to see her like this, and especially knowing who'd caused it. He couldn't help but think about how he'd have reacted to a confession from her—she wouldn't be crying. Definitely not.

"Soul's a jerk. Don't let it bother you." Kid tried to calm her, but the tears were still coming. He'd never seen her cry like this. She usually tried to hide her sadness from others—but supposedly she trusted Kid enough to let him comfort her.

"But I _liked _him…! He was the only guy I'd ever felt that way about…!"

A harsh blow.

"Soul was the only boy I'd ever even given a chance after what Spirit did! I-I'll never find somebody else…!"

…Another one.

She cried, holding onto Kid for support. It made his heart beat faster, but broke it at the same time. He said sweet nothings and hugged her until she finally calmed down. It was the most numbing feeling he'd ever felt.

She sniffled. "Thanks, Kid… You're so nice to me… You're my best friend!" Maka hugged him tighter, but it left him feeling empty.

_Why can't you see?_

* * *

Maka was down in the dumps for a long time. Death the Kid did his best to cheer her up, but usually it didn't work. He was, officially, in the friend zone.

And it _wasn't_ a good quality stay.

Why? Because you couldn't escape. Kid tried _so_ hard to get away, but Maka kept him trapped in it. Just how did Soul unknowingly become her object of affection? He wished he was that asymmetrical boy, simply because then Maka would like him. If only.

Through all the ups and downs in Maka's rollercoaster life—Kid was there for her. He sheltered her through all the bad times, and was always ready to celebrate. He was the one person she could open up to, while remaining everything secret from everybody else.

He was perfect, and she was perfect.

And, ever so slowly, things began to change between them. Through all of the hardships, Maka began to feel something. She'd been wondering about why she hadn't fallen in love for so long, but the answer was obvious. The guy she'd been friends with for years… The guy that'd stayed by her side for so long…

He was the one.

And that wasn't an understatement—he was _the one_. Perfect in every way. She didn't know why she hadn't figured it out before, and could only scold herself for her stupidity. Maka had been looking for the perfect guy everywhere, but was too blind to see that the boy right by her side was the one she'd fallen in love with.

Ironic, isn't it? She was sure there was some quote that reflected the situation, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Right now, she wanted to tell him that she'd found out. Maka wanted him to know that she wanted to give him a chance. Give him a _real_ reason to love her.

And she did.

Maka marched right over to the Gallows Mansion and didn't stop there. She didn't knock, no, she went straight through the doors and up to his room. Plenty of visits made her aware of every room in the mansion, despite its expansiveness.

So, she went upstairs without a single ounce of hesitation and with only determination flaring through her, and flung his door open without a care in the world.

And…

He wasn't there.

For some weird, symbolic reason, he hadn't been there. For once in her life, Death the Kid had not been there when she needed him most. It was very ironic—the one time she looked for him, he was nowhere to be seen.

And, even more ironic, Kid was on his way to her own home as well. He'd been determined to tell that girl his feelings at long last, even if he knew she was going to reject him. If he never got these feelings off his chest, he was sure he'd never get over it. Although… He didn't think anything would ever get him over Maka.

With pure determination flowing in his veins, he didn't stop at all. Not even to knock. Her room was close to the door, so he barged in to find…

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

And it hurt. For some strange reason, it seemed to be hinting at something. Some hidden truth beckoning to be revealed. Was this a sign that he shouldn't confess? Obviously, it was. What else could it be? The emptiness in his heart was like none other that night. So, with heavy feet and the final realization that she wasn't meant to be his, he made his way home.

What happened next, however, was completely unexpected.

In the irony of it all, they'd met at the middle. Whether it was dumb luck or some symbolic sign from above—it was most certainly welcome.

At the time, though, they only stared at each other for several minutes. No words were exchanged, but for some odd reason, they knew exactly what they were doing there.

And they were okay with that.

All was well with the world when they embraced each other just a little bit tighter, a little bit more than usual. No words could've made this moment any more memorable—it'd probably just spoil it.

After all the heartbreak they'd gone through, they'd met in the middle. Both literally, and metaphorically. As far as Kid had chased her, Maka was always able to elude him, getting farther and farther away as time went on. But as the years and good deeds began adding up, she knew where she belonged.

With him.

Kid was no longer in the friend-zone, and he couldn't be any happier. He'd been _friend-zoned out_. The friend-zone was something he'd never have to deal with again, because he finally had the girl of his dreams in his arms. He wasn't about to let her go.

Ever.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: I feel kinda like I've got too many happy ending chapters in a row... So, the next one will be sad. I already have an idea and everything...! Can't wait to write it out. :P Anyway, I hope this one was enjoyable, and that you guys continue to read this! :)**


	35. Dear John Letter

_Dear John Letter_

_Dear Death the Kid,_

_I'm not sure how to start this letter out, or even if I'm going to give this to you. But that doesn't matter much, does it? You're not here right now, but the stress is unbearable. You're my boyfriend, and fiancé-to-be. Yeah, I know about the ring, and that's kind of why I needed to write this letter…_

_I don't want to beat around the bush anymore. Kid, I did love you. You were perfect, and don't think you weren't. The thing is, you aren't for me. You were never meant to be mine, and I was never meant to be yours. _

_Didn't Liz have feelings for you, too? I remember you told me about that when we first started dating. Maybe you could try going out with her—she's a good girl. I'm sure you know that more than I do, though. As for me… I've always known where I belonged. I'm sure everybody's known—with Soul. Our relationship's been pulling me away from him, and he's my most important person. I'm sorry…_

_I hope that __vacation of yours is going well. I don't want to ruin your week away from Death City, so I'll leave the letter in your room in the Gallows Mansion for you to read when you get back. I'd rather tell you face-to-face, but this whole thing's been weighing me down. Soul and I will be on a mission, too, so I'm sorry that I won't be able to explain myself to you. _

_I hope I don't seem like a coward right now._

_I don't know if you understand what I'm trying to say here. This is a lot harder than I thought it'd be… Historically, I'm sure you know, letters like this were referred to as 'Dear John' letters, or… break-up letters. Tsubaki explained them to me a while back. What it means is that I don't want to be with you anymore. I just can't._

_We had lots of fun times together, but I always had that nagging feeling in my heart, that one thought that stuck out. It always told me that everything we were doing was wrong. That we weren't meant to be. I don't understand what it was, or why I felt that way, but I did, and it made me guilty. _

_Which is why I can't handle even another day of pretending. That's what I've been forced to do—pretend. For the last month, I've been hiding away, trying to think of a way to end it. You didn't think much of it, because I'm used to pretending everything's okay. _

_That's how I was raised._

_But you knew me even better than Soul. And I thank you for that. I told you about my family, my problems, and I even confided my secrets in you. The best part was how you never told another person, and I'm very thankful for that. You're my best friend, if nothing else._

_Why does it seem like there's always more to write? If I seem like a cruel person that you wouldn't ever want to talk to again, I'd be okay with that, and I'd understand. I'm sorry if the__handwriting's a little off, my hands are shaking. _

_No, There wasn't anybody else. I never cheated on you—I promise you that. I have dignity, and I do have respect for you. This letter is just a way to get my feelings out. I wish you were here so I could tell you myself—it's tearing me apart inside._

_Maybe it'd be better if I told you what I liked about you. Your eyes were my favorite part of you. Your gentleman-like behavior was very charming, and your Sanzu Lines were cute, too. The way you were just a little bit taller than me, and how your arms fit perfectly around me…_

_And still felt so wrong._

_We're like fire and wood—once together, we shine more brilliantly than ever before, but at the same time… one is always being used up until it's all gone. And that's me. I make you a better person, but it takes too much out of me to keep going. I'm sorry._

_Do you understand where I'm going with this? My heart is too weak, but my hands will continue. I guess that's how it always is—I know I should stop, but my damn pride keeps me going. I'm not sure if even writing this out is a good idea, but I feel so much better now. I feel… __free. I guess that means I'm doing something right._

_If you want to know the reason, Kid, that I'm doing this, it's just… You're too much sometimes. Your symmetry fits were cute at first, but now they're nothing short of annoying. The way you obsess over the smallest details slows us down, and I was always embarrassed to go in public with you. Sure, you were Shinigami-sama's son, but that hardly means anything. The way you talk down to most people really grates my nerves, too, and your self-confidence gets in the way a lot. I want to be honest, but I don't want to hurt your feelings, either. So I'm just going to tell it to you straight. You're __not__ a good kisser._

_If you want to blame somebody for this, blame me. I wasn't meant to be yours. Everything about us clashes, and I want you to know that this is a good thing. We didn't need each other, ever, and it was a mistake to ever go out. All we did was hurt each other, and if you think you were happy, you're wrong. _

_I'm sorry, Kid. Truly, I am. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, but I'd understand if you never want to see me again. I'm sure Liz still likes you, so… Good luck._

_Your Friend Forever,_

_Maka Albarn_


	36. Maybe

_Maybe_

There have always been many possibilities. In every single situation—in every person's _life_—there was always a choice. No matter what, even if you thought there was no way out, you always got to choose what you wanted to do, or how things ended up.

One good example of this, in Maka's opinion, was a person's happiness. She knew she could make herself happy without anybody's help. Maka learned that when her mom left, and Spirit constantly went out. She often had to support herself and realized that being upset about it wouldn't help anybody, least of all, her.

So, she was able to find her own happiness. Nothing had changed since then, except…

She wasn't the only one who could improve her mood anymore.

Maka hadn't noticed it at first, but the more time she spent with one of her friends, the happier she felt. By the time she realized what was happening, the damage was already done. In fact, she'd gone so far as to _fall_ for him. And if that wasn't appalling enough, his name was _Death the Kid_, Shinigami-sama's son.

How worse could things get?

He was renowned for turning down every girl who confessed to him. The only reason she was able to talk to him was because they were _friends_, and because of her standing in the DWMA. Even so, the shinigami was cold. He had his moments, but he was always so distant. Once, Maka had overheard a girl in her class confessing her feelings for Kid.

She'd accidentally stumbled upon them after class, and couldn't leave the room without them noticing her there. So, she was forced to remain hidden.

Maka had heard Kid let out a sigh, and he'd said something strange in response. "I'm sorry, but I don't return those feelings. I'm afraid my love is reserved for somebody else…"

The meister immediately felt bad for the other girl, whom she'd heard crying, and also felt her heart stop. She'd swallowed the lump in her throat, and waited silently until she knew both of them were gone.

After that… for some reason, she couldn't make herself happy like she used to. It was very frustrating—Maka knew she was a capable girl, and a brave one at that. She couldn't believe what had gotten into her. The worst part was with _who_. She could've dealt with Soul, Black*Star, or even _Ox_ of all people. (The thought of being with him like that made her sick).

When she finally realized this wasn't something she could handle on her own, as much as that annoyed her, she turned to someone she knew she could trust no matter what.

And that person was Soul.

She hadn't seen the signs then, and hadn't realized what was happening. Maka was straightforward in every meaning of the word, and brave to a fault. Even though it should've been obvious, the truth had eluded her.

She confided in him, and he listened to every word. Soul held her when she cried, and hugged her when she needed one. The moment she told him who it was she was talking about, she saw something in his eyes—something she hadn't seen before.

Soul looked like his world had suddenly come crashing down around him. His eyes were cast to the side, and he covered his face with a hand. Maka had found it strange at the time, but didn't pay as much attention as she should've.

Even after how much she'd hurt him, he continued to stay by her side. Soul was the best kind of friend anyone could ask for. He knew Maka better than anybody she'd ever known, and vice versa. They were an unbeatable team that could never be separated.

Maybe, if things had been different… If she hadn't been so wrapped up in her own world, she would've noticed how very alone he was. She'd selfishly used him to make herself feel better, even though it made him feel worse.

She only wished things could've been different.

After that talk, Soul had done everything in his power to help her with Death the Kid. When he was around the shinigami, he'd bring up Maka in the conversation constantly. Whenever he was with the two, he'd always come up with an excuse to give them time alone.

And he… he didn't get anything in return.

Maka didn't take Soul's help for granted. She tried to stand out, tried to not be like all the other girls Kid had seen before, but most of all… She tried to get as close to him as possible.

Time passed by rapidly, and not much had changed. But one day, something different _did _happen. Someone knocked on her apartment door, and when she opened it, a sopping wet Kid was on the steps. He had that look in his eyes that Maka had seen only once before.

It was the same one Soul had given her.

She ushered him in out of the rain, giving him a towel as quickly as possible. As selfish as it was, Maka's hopes had risen at the thought that Kid had come to her home while Soul wasn't.

However, those hopes were soon dashed when she learned the reason.

Kid told her that he trusted her, and asked if he could tell her something really important. Of course, Maka had agreed, and she listened to her crush.

He… He said his love didn't like him back. Maka had questioned him as to who he was referring to, and…

It was Liz. He'd confessed to her, and she said she liked Soul. Maka's heart was broken in two, but she tried to keep a brave face for Kid. He was going through something that had obviously really hurt him. She did her best to comfort him, even though it made her feel empty inside.

It was… very ironic. It was a never-ending circle of unrequited love. When Maka had finally given it some thought, she realized that nobody would end up happy. She couldn't make herself happy any longer, and neither could anybody else. They all yearned for somebody they couldn't have, and it was destined to never come true.

The more depressed Maka became, the more she realized how much better off she'd be without these feelings. But the harder she tried, the worse they became. Her love for somebody who couldn't be hers kept her awake at night. She couldn't ask anymore from Soul now that she knew how much he was hurting, too, and couldn't talk to Liz, either. Kid had eventually found out about her feelings, and had apologized. She couldn't talk to him, and that was the worst. The only two that'd found happiness in this terrible mix-up was Black*Star and Tsubaki. There wasn't anyway Maka could take away their happiness just to get this feeling off of her chest.

She was alone. There was nobody she could talk to, and nobody that could talk to her. Maybe… Maybe things were meant to be this way. Were they being punished for something they'd done? Maka didn't know the answer, but she wished she did.

This was the worst feeling she'd ever felt.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: I'm sorry for not getting this out sooner! You know that thing called life? It kinda got in the way... Once again, thank you all for your patience! I'd also like to thank you for getting this far with me-we've reached 21,000 views! I'm very happy about that, which is odd for this particular one-shot. I'll make the next one a little happier, but let me know what you thought regardless! :)**


	37. Til Death Do Us Part

'_Til Death Do Us Part_

It was the perfect day. Well, perfect for the couple about to get married. They were so excited as they got ready… Kid even got a new suit for the occasion, and Maka a wedding dress. She'd initially been nervous about wearing it, but Liz had brushed all of her doubt away.

The couple had trouble deciding who'd have certain roles, but they'd finally come to an agreement. Tsubaki was the Maid of Honor, and Black*Star the Ring Bearer. Soul was Kid's Best Man, and the Thompson sisters were the bridesmaids. Blaire, in cat form for some reason, was the Flower Girl.

As Kid got himself ready, he was becoming steadily more nervous. He'd asked her to marry him the second they got out of the DWMA. You never knew how long you'd have to live what with all the dangerous missions, so Kid wanted to have as much time with Maka as possible.

Even so, it didn't kill his nerves. Soul chuckled a little, fixing Kid's tie. "Keep your cool, man. I still can't believe you're getting married before me."

Kid laughed a little. "Well, you know how we were dating for three years already… It was only a matter of time before it happened…"

"I guess so. How are you feeling?" Soul patted Kid's shoulders, but it did little to soothe him.

"Nauseous. I can't believe I'm getting married…" The shinigami sighed, checking himself in the mirror again. Soul smirked.

"That's normal. Just wait until you go on your honeymoon; all of it will be worth it, bud. Just make sure you treat Maka right, okay?"

Kid nodded, a symmetrical smile on his face. "Of course. Should I get into details with you about treating Liz right?"

Soul blushed, and said nothing.

* * *

Maka stood perfectly still, letting her friends help her get dressed. Or, rather, let them do all the work. She really had no idea what she was doing here, and was glad that Liz and Tsubaki had at least a little experience on it.

The dress itself was beautiful—there was no doubt about that. Maka only had doubts about how she looked in it. Liz kept telling her that she looked great, and Tsubaki, too, but she couldn't shake her self-consciousness. She wasn't scared of being married—only excited, really—but she wasn't confident with how she looked. All those years of teasing from Soul had played a number on her, though he'd apologized every time.

"Should we give her some make up?" Liz asked, making sure the dress was straight. Tsubaki took a step back, scanning Maka.

"Maybe… I don't think she needs it, though. She looks much better naturally…" She smiled at Maka, who returned it nervously.

"Hm… I think you're right, Tsubaki. Patty, bring me a glass of water." The younger sister saluted before running to complete her task. One could only wonder how she was able to move so fast in a dress and heels.

She returned shortly after, and Liz handed the glass of water to Maka. "How do you feel, Maka?"

"Very nervous… Very, very, _very_ nervous." Maka downed the water in one swig, shivering just a little. Liz giggled, reapplying the lipstick.

"What for? You're about to get married to a shinigami—Kid, no less!" Maka gulped. Tsubaki took the glass from her hand and set it to the side, giving her friend a quick hug.

"Don't worry, Maka! You two love each other. When you walk down to the altar, only look at Kid. Trust me; your nerves will go away." She pulled away with a sincere smile. Maka did her best to return it, feeling a little better.

"How do you know this stuff, Tsubaki?"

She blushed. "U-Um… I… I've read some romance novels before…" Maka gave her an incredulous look.

"Tsubaki! I read those, too, but I've never read any of the tips you've given me before." Liz watched with interest as Tsubaki turned even redder.

"Um… You haven't read enough, then…" Patty giggled, but suddenly turned serious.

"I think it's time to go!"

* * *

Kid stood at the altar, shifting his feet anxiously. He wasn't ready for this—he was going to forget what he was supposed to do!

Shinigami-sama, who was going to be the one to marry the two, put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry so much, Kiddo!"

Kid gulped, nodding once. He kept his eyes focused on the spot he knew Maka was going to be coming from. On his other side, Soul put a hand on his shoulder, too.

"Yeah, it's easy, trust me. Any second now she'll be—oh, look." Just as he finished speaking, all the girls, minus Maka, made their way to their seats, giggling. That meant Maka was going to be coming soon. As a cat, Blaire ran down the path, scattering flowers everywhere. She looked really happy, and the second she reached the altar, she jumped into Soul's arms.

Justin Law, still with his headphones in, was playing the music for the ceremony. Kid's heart began racing in anticipation as he waited for his bride. Finally, she came walking down the path with Spirit. The Death Scythe did look happy, though he did shoot Kid a warning glare that seemed to say "_you'd better treat her right or else._"

However, Kid couldn't care less about him at the moment. His eyes were glued on the woman he'd fallen in love with, looking more beautiful than ever before. As angelic as she could be, it seemed only fitting for her to wear white.

Everyone took their places, and watched Shinigami-sama expectantly. It was weird that Black*Star was able to contain himself for so long, but Kid and Maka, as well as everybody else, was thankful for it. He did seem a little shaky, but he was practicing good self control.

Shinigami-sama took them through the ceremony which, as the couple stared into each other's eyes, didn't seem to take too long. Eventually, he got to the vows.

"Do you, Death the Kid, take Maka Albarn, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until Death do you part?"

"I do." Black*Star handed Maka a ring, and she put it on his finger. He'd been working on his obsession over symmetry, so it didn't bother him very much. Shinigami-sama turned toward Maka next.

"Do you, Maka Albarn, take Death the Kid, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until Death do you part?"

"I do." Black*Star gave Kid the ring, and he put it on Maka's finger. Some people in the crowd were already crying from happiness.

"You may now kiss the bride." Kid lifted the veil from Maka's face, and leaned down for a chaste kiss. Both were exploding from happiness—no longer nervous in the least. Everyone began clapping and cheering for the newly married couple, and Black*Star could stand it no longer.

"Congratulations, you two! Anyway, me and Tsubaki are getting married, too!" Kid and Maka pulled apart, laughing at their friend's antics.

"W-What?!" Tsubaki exclaimed, blushing again.

"I love you, Kid…" Maka whispered to her husband. Kid smiled.

"I love you too, Maka."

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Proof that I can end a one-shot without a cliffhanger... I hoped you liked this feel-good chapter, and let me know what you thought! :)**


	38. Innocence

_Innocence_

Maka's lived her entire life in Death City. Well, all ten years of it, so far! She'd just recently joined the DWMA, and strived to be just like her mama. Speaking of which, Maka loved her papa and her mama, though they'd started fighting lately. Anytime they started going at it, she'd quietly go to her room, or out on a walk. Even though she was young, she was very mature for her age.

Mature enough to know when to ignore the elephant in the room.

That was a saying she'd read in one of her mama's political books, and even though she wouldn't admit it, she didn't completely understand what it meant. Maka didn't have any friends—mostly because she'd just stay home and read. She didn't care much for other people other than her family, though she'd definitely say hi to somebody if she wanted to.

Anyway, today was one of those days. Papa had gotten home late, and mama was fighting with him. Maka watched from her room for a few minutes, unsure if she should try to stop it. She decided not to, and inched over to the door. They hadn't noticed her leaving.

As usual.

The sun was starting to set, but Maka wasn't sure how late it was. When she did sneak out, she'd just go to her happy place—the park. She even had her trusty little book with her.

Oh, the book? It was the very same political book, full of some sort of weird jokes. Half of it was dedicated to what Maka had dubbed as elephants, and the other half was dedicated to donkeys. Some were kind of funny, but Maka didn't get why the two disliked each other so much.

Maka made it to her favorite playground within ten minutes. She'd found out the best route was a little out of the way, but she wouldn't run into anybody that could get her in trouble. Even though she was little, she wasn't completely naïve!

And, as luck would have it, nobody was around. Her swing was abandoned, and she clambered onto it. Maka swung herself just a bit so she wasn't motionless, and opened her book. Through the faint light, she was just barely able to read.

However, as more time passed, the sunlight soon disappeared. Even though there was a street light a bit away, it wasn't enough light to read with. So, with a sigh, Maka set her book down and used the swing what it was meant for.

Maka giggled, letting herself have some fun. Her parents were going to be okay—they were always okay by the time she got back. Even though they never noticed her absence, they did smile when they saw her; however odd those smiles did look. Almost like they were hiding something from her, but Maka trusted them with all her heart. They wouldn't hide anything from her, no matter what.

As Maka kicked harder, gaining altitude on the swing, she decided to test her luck. As she reached the dip and into the sky, she jumped out of the seat, flapping her arms as if she were a bird. However weird that may be, it was fun, and the whole point of this trip was to get her parents' anger out of her mind. Maka hit the ground with a little too much force, and rolled forward several times.

Maka pushed herself up from the dirt, spitting some out. Maybe it wasn't so smart to do that. The little girl brushed herself off, and noticed that somebody else was in the playground. She could see their shadow in the tunnel-like slide.

Curiously, Maka abandoned her book and quietly made her way up the ladder. When she reached the top, she pulled herself over with a smile.

"Hi!"

Whoever was in there—Maka still hadn't seen—was so startled, they'd slipped down the slide the wrong way. They hit the sides and were rolling face-first all the way down. Maka gasped and slid down to help them out, but that wasn't the right thing to do. She landed right on top of that person, who was grumbling something.

The younger girl jumped up quickly, apologizing profusely. The other person sat up, rubbing his head. Maka hadn't ever seen the boy before, but he seemed to be around her age. His eyes were big and yellow, and he was wearing a mini-suit. What was strange, though, was his striped hair.

"It's okay…" He said quietly, but he made no move to stand up. Maka sat down in front of him instead, trying to make eye contact with him. He seemed sad.

"What's wrong?" She smiled, wanting to be friends with the very first kid her age. He kept his eyes downcast.

"Nothing's wrong…" His sniffle said otherwise.

"Aww, come on, you can tell me." Maka waited for him to answer, but instead he asked a question.

"Why are you here?" His eyes slowly met hers, though he seemed cautious. For some reason, the boy's hands were shaking without pause, and that made Maka a little nervous.

"I'll answer your question if you answer mine." She said simply. He gritted his teeth, but didn't reject her.

"Lots of things are wrong with me! I'm not symmetrical at all, and my mom's gone now because of me. My dad doesn't care, and I have no friends. Does that answer your question?" His shoulders slumped with a sigh.

"Hey, don't be so sad. Everything will be okay! Your parents love you!" Apparently that wasn't the right thing to say. Both of his eyes twitched when he glared at her.

"How would you know that?! They _don't_." Maka winced at the harshness.

"They're your parents; of course they love you! My parents fight a lot, and they sometimes forget about me, but I know they love me. And I don't have any friends either, see? You're like me, and if that's true, your parents must love you, too!" She smiled at her perfect logic.

He stared at her for a long time, before finally looking away. He let his hair shield his eyes. "…You still haven't answered my question." Maka wasn't sure whether or not he agreed with what she'd said, but decided not to press the issue.

"Oh! I'm here because… because… my parents are fighting again…" She frowned and crossed her arms. "They'll be okay by the time I get back, though. They always are." His eyebrows rose questioningly.

"Are you sure about that?"

"What?"

"Are you sure?" His gaze seemed to cut straight through to her soul, and the confidence she held for her parents faltered. Maka had never doubted her parents before, but he made it seem like they weren't going to be okay.

"What are you going to do if they aren't okay? What if they don't love you? What if they're just _pretending_ everything's okay? You can't even begin to understand what that would feel like…" Hurt flashed through his eyes briefly, but the ideas he was planting into her mind called for closure.

"They're my parents. Nothing's wrong with them. They love each other, and they love me, too." He stared at her, but looked away after a little bit. The boy dropped the subject.

"…Whatever…"

Silence reigned for several moments, before Maka realized she still didn't know who this person was. "What's your name?"

A curious glance was tossed her way. "…Death the Kid. And you?"

"Maka Albarn. I have to go soon, but… I have a few minutes. Do you want to play a game?"

"That's a nice name…" He muttered quietly. Maka hadn't heard what he'd said, but he continued before she could ask. "What game?"

"Let's play… tag." She giggled, poking him on the shoulder. His brow furrowed, but he reached over and poked her with a little bit more force. In turn, she pushed him playfully. He seemed to be having a good time as they continued to play around.

Though, Maka would later learn that innocence rarely lasts. Something always taints it, or forces you to grow up and drop your childish beliefs. And for Maka?

…Her parents were pretending.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: ...I'm not proud of this one at all. Though, I promise the next one will be better...)**


	39. Valentine's Day Special

_A Not So Lovely Holiday_

With a heavy sigh, Maka pulled herself into the bus. It was the only public transportation she was willing to take, but that was only because she hated cramped places. A normal person would call it claustrophobia, but she just lumped it together with all her other problems, and simply called it all her "issues."

Since she was just getting started in her career as a scientist, she didn't have much money to spare. Hence the lack of a car. Anyway, she'd only just gotten out of college a couple of weeks ago, and she'd been trying to get her own place the whole time. Her parents had long since been divorced, and she'd been forced to stay with her dad. That man was one of her so-called issues that she never wanted to discuss again.

Maka tripped on the last step, almost bumping into the driver. Embarrassed, she silently cursed the heels she was wearing. Maka never was the girl who could pull off that style, but her job called for it. Well, her employer did, but he was another one of her issues that she really wished would get off the face of the planet and die in a hole.

Okay, so maybe that was putting it lightly.

Maka wanted this man to be murdered in the dead of night, tormented by ghosts and ghouls for all of eternity, and to be buried in a sea of garbage. Why? Her boss was the worst kind—he was a good for nothing pervert that did no work, and complained constantly.

The bus driver, another annoying person Maka never did like, glared at her. He pointed at the box beside his seat firmly. Maka understood that he wanted her to pay for the ride, and she began digging through her purse. Luckily, she found her wallet quickly, and dropped a few cents in.

Then, she moved into the aisle of the bus. She scanned for a place to sit, and as fate would have it, she found an empty seat! In such a populated town like Death City, it was rare to even _sit down_ on the bus. Usually, they had to sit three to a seat, and that was the epitome of awkward. Not to mention how uncomfortable the leather seats were, and how vandalized the whole bus was.

Well, at least she would get to be on the inside this time. Maka sat down in the seat of her choice, scooting over so she was next to the window. What she wasn't expecting, though, was to bump into somebody. The sleeping mass of a person jumped at the contact, and Maka blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't done _that_ in a long time.

Oh, did she mention that everything in her life was an issue on that terribly long list of problems? No? Well, her entire life sucked, from the day she was born to today. Which was Valentine's Day, for Pete's sake. Maka hadn't had a steady relationship in over five years, even though her boss expressed a sort of… fondness for her. She'd never stoop down to him. Running into another embarrassing situation reminded her of everything wrong that happened to her on a daily basis, and of her begrudgingly single status.

"Sorry," she said quickly, "I didn't see you there…" The man cast a sidelong glance, and she was struck by the oddity of his hair and eyes. His hair was definitely dyed, and he was obviously wearing contacts. Nobody could ever have yellow eyes and striped hair like that. It was impossible. All those science-y classes Maka took to get to where she was today taught her that much.

"It's fine…" He said quietly, closing his eyes again. The man sunk into the chair and leaned against the window once more. Maka sat up straight and maintained a good posture. Some people around her seat gave her looks, and she found it odd when most seats were cramped with four people in them, and others remained standing. Why didn't they just ask her to scoot over or something?

Ugh. This always happened to her. _I ought to have a Most Repulsive Woman on Earth sign posted on me. Or that ridiculous meme, "Forever Alone." Whatever a potato-faced thing like that has to do with me… _She thought, tapping her foot in annoyance.

Maka looked back at the guy next to her, wondering what a well-dressed person like this was doing on a bus. Obviously, everyone here couldn't afford cars, but a suit like that could easily sell for the same price as _two_, Maka figured.

"…Are you okay?" She questioned lightly. "You don't look very tired, but you're closing your eyes."

His eyes focused on her, though he made no move to sit up. "You're right, I'm not tired. I just hate this holiday."

Curiously, Maka raised an eyebrow. Though she wasn't about to disagree with him, she did want to know why a handsome guy like this would hate Valentine's Day. Didn't he have a girlfriend or something? "Why?"

"Because," he replied evenly, "the colors are annoying. The couples won't shut up. And worse? Thinking about being single." His eyes closed again as if that signaled the end of the conversation.

Maka looked back at everyone else on the bus, and was suddenly more aware of the things he pointed out. Pink decorated every belonging every person held, the couples sitting together, and she was even more aware of her status. Ugh. More issues…

"I hate this holiday, too," Maka replied, sinking down into his same position with a frown, "I've never had a relationship on this day, and everybody becomes a nuisance. Even if they're just saying 'excuse me' or 'how is your day?'"

For some reason, his eyes lit up and he sat up suddenly, startling her. "You hate it, too? No joke?"

Other people around them glared as if they were somehow disturbed by their conversation. "Yeah, no joke." A small smile graced her features. Maybe, for once, this person wouldn't go on her issues list.

"Hey… You think we could hang out sometime? Are you going somewhere?" Despite the strange request, especially coming from a stranger who just so happened to hate the same holiday she did, she found herself hesitating in her immediate answer of "no." In fact, wasn't that reason enough to agree?

After all, that pervert of a boss wouldn't fire her. No, the worst he'd do is sexually harass her the next day, telling her to bend over to pick up some random papers.

"…Sure. Let's do it."

So, the two became quick friends by sharing their hate for the lovely holiday. Everyone around them had a contemptuous look on their face, so they got off on the next stop. They went somewhere they knew they wouldn't see _any_ people with their annoyingly colorful gifts. And, they even ended up kissing.

Needless to say, no work was done that day.

Oh, and her boss? His name was Soul.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: For all of us single people on Valentine's Day! That includes me, if you were wondering. This was spawned from my own experience with buses, and everyone on Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoyed it! :)**


	40. Party

_Party_

Maka should've known. When Soul throws a party, it was a huge invite-everyone-you-know party. Even though she'd specifically told him only to invite a few people, he'd invited _everyone_ in the DWMA in celebration of their graduation. Sure, it was a big deal, but the thing was…

It was a party in her apartment.

Usually, all the events would be held in the Gallows Mansion for obvious reasons, but Soul, having just become a Death Scythe, wanted to host it, saying something along the lines of it not being cool if he didn't.

So, it was well past midnight, and the party wasn't showing any signs of slowing. Maka leaned back against the wall in her room, rubbing her temples with a sigh. She'd had just about enough of this party—it was fun for the first two hours. She and her friends had been having a blast, but Maka soon lost her patience with the amount of idiocy just in the other room. She could no longer avoid the thought of how dreadful it was going to be cleaning up afterward.

Just think about all the beer cups that would be littered on the floor!

Speaking of which, now reminded of her own drink in her hand, she lifted it and took another sip. The taste was terrible—that would never change—but it did numb her thoughts when they went into places she'd rather not divulge.

After all, watching all your friends hook up could be a little annoying. This party was just the thing that everybody seemed to need to finally confess their feelings to that special person.

Or maybe it was the beer. Maka didn't know for sure.

Anyway, everybody knew that it was only a matter of time until Black*Star and Tsubaki got together. The second Maka saw them making out on the couch she couldn't suppress an "I knew it" from escaping her lips. And, after them, Soul and Liz disappeared into his room. Even Maka knew that must've meant good news.

Of course, there were a few exceptions. Ox, that weirdo that always challenged her for the better grade in Stein's class, had been trying to see which of them had a better tolerance to alcohol. As much of a help as he could be in certain situations, Maka just wanted to get away from him. He was weird. Like, _really _weird. And then there was Patty and Crona, who were happy just playing cards in the corner. If anyone thought that was strange, they didn't say anything about it. The main swarm of the party was in the living room where most kids were playing beer pong. Loud cheers could still be heard through Maka's door, and she didn't like it.

With the way things were playing out, she'd _never_ get to sleep. She sipped her drink, scrunching her nose in disgust at the same time. Maka didn't usually drink, but it did help when she had a lot on her mind. The meister walked over to her bed and lay down, trying to ignore the sounds from the party-goers.

They must've been having a good time.

"…Do you mind if I join you?"

Maka opened her eyes and craned her neck toward the door to see who'd spoken, though she hardly needed to. It was the one person she hadn't seen enjoying the party. Maka had only seen him at the beginning of the party when she'd let him into the building.

"Sure," she said simply, letting her eyes drift shut once again. Kid closed the door behind him, though it did little to quell the shouting from just behind it. He walked over to her and sat down just beside the bed.

Silence ensued for several moments before the shinigami spoke again. "…The party's out there, you know."

She couldn't stop the sigh that'd welled up within her. Maka rolled over onto her side, away from him and the party. "Yeah, I know."

A thoughtful quiet took over the room once more. Kid glanced at the beer cup on her dresser before attempting conversation. "I didn't know you drank."

He wasn't so good at this talking thing.

"I didn't know you cared about beer." Maka retorted half-heartedly. She could hear his feet shuffling on the ground quietly, despite the fact that he was now seated.

"I don't. I mean, alcohol doesn't do anything to a shinigami."

"I know."

More silence ensued within the room, seemingly louder than that of the crowd outside. Someone shouted about taking the party outside, and Maka could hear the overall loudness recede out the door of the apartment.

Thank goodness.

"…I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Black*Star and Tsubaki are meant for each other. Anyone can tell that much." Kid began quietly, "Do you think that maybe there are others like them? Like… Soul and Liz?"

Maka rolled back over and stared at him with a frown. "What are you getting at?"

She could see him swallow, but he looked perfectly calm otherwise. "It's just… a party. Everyone finds someone and has a good time with them."

"And?"

"I think you already know what I'm trying to say."

Maka's frown deepened before she let her head fall back onto her pillow. "I hope you weren't expecting me to be drunk, Kid. I'm not that kind of girl."

"U-Uh…" Bingo. She'd broken his composure. "Of course not. I mean, you are an attractive girl. I never said otherwise."

"Then what'd you come in here for, if not that?" Maka reached over for her drink, idly sipping some more.

"Nothing! I-I've never thought of you like that. You're my friend and I came in to make sure you were okay. The party was getting out of hand after that one round of beer pong."

Maka didn't say anything. It may have been unfair to the shinigami, but the headache she had at the moment was more than enough to keep her from being anything other than annoyed. The fact that it all seemed too convenient of him to show up at this point of time only worsened it.

However, he was still a friend that'd saved her life many times over. The least she could do was try to be pleasant.

"How was the party?" She tried, staring up at the ceiling.

"Okay, I guess. Not really my scene." Kid replied. He looked over at the girl on the bed with a small smile on his face.

"Same here. I'm glad they're finally gone." It was quiet for a few more minutes before Maka sat up and looked at him. Her eyes held regret within them, and her shoulders were hunched. "…I'm sorry for being rude earlier. If anything, I should be grateful that you came in here."

He waved her off. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I should've known better than to come into your room in the middle of a party where beer was involved. Especially when you already know about my feelings for you…"

"That was kinda messed up, wasn't it?"

"H-Hey! I thought we were making up here!" Kid protested, his face turning redder by the second.

"I'm just teasing you. Why don't you come up here? We can watch a movie or something." Maka watched as his entire face lit up, a feeling of pride swelling up in her chest at having caused it.

"Yeah, sure! Uh, I mean… I don't have anything better to do." He tried to act as if he didn't want to be there, and it elicited a giggle from Maka. Kid climbed on but kept a good distance away from her.

…That didn't last long.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for not getting this out sooner! Other stories got in the way, as well as a lack of inspiration. The idea for this one was me trying to do more showing instead of telling as a whole. Let me know how I did with that, if you don't mind! Can you believe we're at number 40 already? Thanks for everything so far, as well as the 26,000 views!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or any of its characters.)**


	41. Jealous

_Jealous  
_

_What's that guy doing? _Kid glared at the boy in the front of the classroom, who was ogling at _his d_girl. He couldn't have been more obvious in where he was staring, either. Though Maka wasn't anything like Blair, her curves had defined themselves over the years.

He wasn't sure if that made him a lucky man, or a very unfortunte soul.

While Maka wasn't _technically_ his girlfriend, they did have their moments. Like the obvious glances, the brushing fingers, and how easily they could resonate souls. If that wasn't enough, then there was the fact that it was almost like they were made for each other. Their traits, while mostly similar, meshed together so well.

Regardless, Kid liked Maka. But apparently, so did Ox. At first, Kid had been totally indifferent on how he felt about that guy, but now his feelings had quickly turned into dislike. _Seriously... I thought that idiot liked Kim, not Maka. Why's he sitting so close to her?_

The shinigami clenched his teeth, narrowing his eyes at the person who was oh so obviously messing with the world's balance. And, as fate would have it, Maka didn't even seem to see any problem with the way Ox was acting. Kid couldn't help but wonder just what she'd done to get that freak's attention.

Okay, so maybe that was a little harsh. While on any other occasion Kid would just ignore him and his boasting, but this... This was personal. He'd internally claimed her as his, so for anyone to so much as think they could have her wasn't fair.

"Earth to Kid... We've got an assignment to do, ya know!" Liz smacked him lightly in the back of the head, careful to keep her still-drying nails from touching his hair. The shinigami briefly glanced at his weapon in annoyance before his gaze turned back to the more important task at hand.

"Like you were going to disect the frog..." Kid retorted. He watched as Maka's _lab partner_ lowered his knife to the center of the frog, making some sly remark that made her laugh. Liz noticed his Death Glare, (obviously a hand-me-down from Shinigami-sama's chop) and looked over to see who was going to be murdered soon. She smirked.

"I think I understand now... It's weird that Ox would ask Maka to be his lab partner, especially with that rivalry of theirs. Almost makes you wonder if he likes her."

Kid's eye twitched, but he didn't say anything. Liz frowned at the lack of response.

"Hey... Doesn't that bother you?" She questioned, now concerned. Kid stood up suddenly, knocking over their lab's materials onto the ground in the process. Everyone looked over at the clanging sound.

Kid walked to the door so calmly it was scary. Even Stein remained silent as he left the room, though it was for an entirely different reason. Stein frowned thoughtfully as he twisted the screw in his head a few clicks before looking back at the students.

"What are you doing? Get back to work."

* * *

"Kid, you really can't just leave in the middle of class like that. You said you wanted to be a part of the DWMA, so why skip?" Shinigami-sama scolded, wagging his finger at his son.

"I know, father." Kid shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes focused on where Shinigami-sama's were supposed to be. He never cared much for getting into mischief, since his father didn't ever do much more than this. Kid had already gone through his rebellious stage, so if anything, he knew doing things to get his father's attention wouldn't work. All Shinigami-sama ever did was tell him what he did was wrong , why it was, and tell him not to do it again. No punishment. No real acknowledgement. Just an all-business relationship, pretty much.

"I don't think you understand, Kiddo. Which is why you will have to make up that disection lab. Professor Stein has left his classroom open for you, and has even gotten you a lab partner."

Well. This was a first. "...I'll do it right away." His father's tone held a certain amusement that unnerved Kid. Shinigami-sama was always pulling stunts like this, so it was reason to be cautious.

With that, Kid slowly walked out of the Death Room and toward his classroom. He let out a sigh, wondering who was going tto be waiting for him there. He figured he'd just tell them to go home and do the experiment himself, or pretend to have done it.

However, when he saw who was in class Crescent Moon, he knew he wasn't going to be sending her home. "...Maka? What are you doing here?" It was a stupid question, but it was the best he could think of.

"Oh, you got here a lot faster than I thought you would..." Maka closed her book and stood up from her desk, smiling at him. "Professor Stein asked me to help you with your lab, since it's important to our grade."

"...Thank you." He walked over, returning her smile. They disected the frog (however disgusting that may have been) and finished the work. Kid disposed of the _symmetrically _mutilated frog while Maka put away their supplies. It was nice to be alone with his crush, and even nicer that he didn't have to see Ox's ugly face. He wondered if his father or Stein had set them up, but didn't really care at the moment.

"I can walk you home. Since I... You know, kept you back." He tried to keep himself from blushing, but it didn't work very well.

"Sure." She smiled, and the two left the classroom. Kid held his work while Maka held her own personal belongings. Everything was well in the world.

That is, until Ox showed up. Apparently, he was waiting for Maka outside of the DWMA to "walk her home." It sounded despicable coming from _his _mouth.

"Sorry, buto I've got it under control." Kid glared at the other boy. Ox pushed his silly-looking glasses up his nose, almost like he was "superior" to Kid. Yeah right.

"You seem to be forgetting something, Death the Kid. Maka Albarn requires someone with a _high _level of intellect to walk her home. I'm afraid you and your test scores don't quite cut it."

Kid glared at him, clenching both of his fists. "Is that a challenge?"

'What else would it be?"

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for taking so long, but I've been having a hard time at school and at home lately. I'll try to get these out sooner, but I can't make any promises. Anyway, this one-shot will have a continuation in the next chapter, but both can stand alone. You'll see. Also, I just wanted to say that I'm going to minimize the Author's Notes from now on, so they won't be on every chapter. Unless there's something important to point out, anyway. Thanks for all the support, everyone!)**


	42. Competition

_Competition_

It was time. The competition was today, and Kid had been preparing for this for the past week. It was going to be a test over everything they'd learned from the DWMA that year.

Oh, and it was just between Death the Kid and Ox Ford.

See, they were having a... "friendly" competition for Maka's affections. Both harbored feelings for the meister, but she was oblivious to it. As far as she knew, this test was just about boys being boys and proving who was smarter-which was partially true, but not quite on the bull's eye.

Anyway, Kid knew the test itself wouldn't be a problem. He could recall everything he'd heard, seen, or even just the texture of something he'd touched before. Unless he was getting paranoid. He tended to unknowingly trick himself into believing things when symmetry was on his mind, like whether or not the painting was a centimeter off. He could've checked a hundred times and known that it was perfect, but later, he would doubt himself and it would bug him.

So, he didn't even bother going over any information. He had that down; when symmetry wasn't at stake, he was the "perfect boy." It was a nickname that described him pretty well. Instead, he practiced speed-writing. Kid was failing Stein's class because he was always so concentrated on perfecting his handwriting to keep it symmetrical, even though he could pass with a hundred... if given the "little" extra time to do so.

It was really difficult for him, but with the help of his most trusted friends, the Thompson sisters, he got better. It still hurt him to write so sloppily - well, in his opinion - but he forced himself. When he would have a break down, Patty would yell at him to snap him out of it and remind him of what was at stake, and Liz would reason with him. The best technique so far was just to think of very symmetrical things and ignore the paper in front of him (a very hard task for him), and usually it was Maka who ended up on his mind.

Maka held the two tests that she'd created herself. Who else would have kept the notes and memorized enough to do something like that? Besides, this way, it was kind of like proving himself to be smart enough for Maka, who would have put her heart into these questions. There were probably so many tricks hidden within this test, but Kid felt confident. So did Ox, apparently. It was after class, though most kids had stayed after to watch the "ultimate showdown." Kid had even heard rumors about students placing bets; mostly on Ox. Talk about trust.

"Are you two ready?" Maka asked in a tone that sent shivers down Kid's spine. It was sincere, genuine, sweet... And at the same time, challenging, feisty and confident. There really wasn't a single word that could describe her voice.

"Of course. There hasn't been a single test I wasn't ready for. I doubt the same could be said for Death the Baby Goat over there." Ox said in a way that grated Kid's nerves.

"...I'm ready, Maka." he replied simply. He'd have time to rub his victory in Ox's face later. Maka smiled.

"Okay. You both have an hour to complete this test. There are sixty questions in total, all about things we've learned in class Crescent Moon this year. Do your best, and good luck!" Maka laid two packets in front of the two boys, making sure they were faced down. "Begin!" As the clicking sound of a stopwatch went off, Kid flipped over his test and wrote his name down. Elegantly, of course, but he only spent about forty-five seconds on it.

The majority of the test was easy. Luckily, Maka only put multiple choice questions in, so symmetry wasn't a big issue. As long as he filled each circle in completely and made sure there weren't any extra scratch marks, he could continue. Maka had also typed it up, so it looked (and felt) like a real test. There wasn't a single error in the whole test. The audience was silent, which was weird for a bunch of unsupervised teenagers, and Kid could tell that some were feeling uneasy about how fast he was going, 'cause they knew they'd be losing some big bucks. Both Soul and Black*Star were among this group.

It wasn't all fun and games, though. Kid's crush was a huge distraction, too. He could feel her staring at him for the majority of the test. It was a nice feeling to be the center of her attention, but it made him nervous. Sometimes, he felt himself blush from the intensity of her stare. From the constant scratching sounds of Ox's pencil, he didn't seem to be having this problem.

Soon, the test came to a close. Kid had finished and double-checked the symmetry of his answers, (he knew the answers themselves were completely correct) and completed that as soon as the timer went off.

"Put your pencils down." Maka demanded, and both boys did. She collected the tests with a gentleness that only a person who truly cared for knowledge and had a passion for learning could. Kid admired that, as well as the sway of her hips as she made her way to her desk. She was going to grade the tests right away.

It was silent. Kid could feel a nervous tension in the air-not from him, but rather from the spectators. Obviously, some were fearing for their wallets. The shinigami met his opponent's eyes (or glasses, technically) briefly, in which they both glared. Kid couldn't be completely sure, but he almost looked anxious. Like, the way a person got when they thought they were being threatened.

Kid was feeling pretty good at this point.

Finally, Maka had laid her pen down. She was done. Everyone immediately cast his or her eyes at the meister that always seemed to demand attention wherever she went. It wasn't a bad thing in this case, though - she didn't do it on purpose. Maka was just one of those special people that gained respect without even trying.

She cleared her throat, though there really wasn't a point in this silence. "...There is a winner, but it was really close."

No words were spoken as she slowly walked over to the two competing boys. She glanced at both of them before she placed both tests, face-down, on the desk. "You can look now."

Kid excitedly flipped over his test...

And was faced with a big, fat, (and neat) ninety-eight percent. He was still feeling confiident with a shred of doubt; that was just one missed question. But then... he saw Ox's straight one hundred.

"What...?! How could I miss something?" Kid searched desperately through the packet for whatever question he had gotten incorrect. But every answered question was filled in completely, and nothing was marked. At this point, everyone in the audience had started leaving the room, though most had pleased expressions at the thought of free money.

Only Kid, Ox and Maka remained.

"I don't understand! What did I miss?" he looked at his crush for an answer, vaguely registering the fact that Ox was speaking.

"I knew I was better than you, shinigami." And with that, the other meister left the two alone. He'd won. Ox had beaten Kid.

"...You forgot to answer one question." Maka said quietly. Kid couldn't believe it - he'd been so careful! Now he didn't have his pride, the girl, or his friends' trust.

"What question?" asked the shinigami. The other meister leaned forward slightly, just enough to make Kid blush. He didn't get what was going on at all.

"Will you go out with me?"


	43. Birthday Special

_Birthday Special  
_

Maka had always kept her birthday a secret from everyone she knew. She really didn't like the attention, and it just seemed pointless. Perhaps the only person alive that knew of it was her father-but she always managed to elude him and his gifts. Even Soul was unaware of the exact date.

So, it was that time of the year again, and she was sitting at home by herself. Soul had gone out with Black*Star for the umpteenth time. After knowing everyone for so long and not telling them, she knew she shouldn't feel any resentment for not getting told "Have a happy birthday, Maka!"

However, it still stung to have gone through the whole day without any recognition. To finish out her special Saturday night, she was going to watch a cheesy romance movie. Never would she be caught dead watching something like this around her friends, but it was something of a guilty pleasure.

As was the ice cream. Romantic movies and ice cream while feeling upset came hand in hand in... hand?

Once the film started going, Maka turned out the lights and began munching on her ice cream. The whole situation... wasn't actually all that bad. She was sort of enjoying herself, as odd as that may have been. Maka had always needed time to herself. Back when her parents had been fighting all the time, she tended to seclude herself.

Old habits die hard.

Sadly, the movie hit a little _too_ close to home. The lady at the video store had been lying to her when she asked about the movie. She'd said it was a cheerful, upbeat, cute romantic story-when actually, it had been about a girl whose family life had been terrible, who'd gotten mixed in with the wrong crowd and was in constant danger, whilst dating an abusive boyfriend. Most of it was rather... depressing. Even though she'd tried to redeem herself at the end, even though she'd fallen in love with a good boy... She'd died by the hands of her old boyfriend.

"What the hell...?" Maka sniffled, rubbing her nose with her pajama sleeve. "Why am I crying?"

It was a sad story. The meister was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, but like a lot of girls, she had a soft spot for this kind of thing. At least, when her walls had come down. On an average day, she'd have been fine, maybe even laughed at the movie for being unrealistic. But everyone had to let out their frustration and sadness eventually. And for Maka, as organized as she was, dedicated her birthday to be that day.

A day worth celebration, huh?

Maka curled up in a ball and let her tears out on the couch. The movie hadn't helped her already terrible feelings. Whoever made the mistake of naming a clearly the-world-has-just-ended-it's-that-sad movie called A Good Life should go die in a hole. The person who'd told her it was a good movie should join that idiot, too.

"...Maka." a voice said from somewhere by the front door.

"Damn it..." she cursed to herself quietly, knowing she wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she'd been crying. Soul wasn't due for another few hours at the least, and she hadn't been expecting anyone else. Least of all, him. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you're upset." Death the Kid walked over so he was standing in front of her. As usual, his hands were shoved in his pockets, and his eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit room.

"...Nothing's wrong. I just watched a really sad movie." Maka stated, sitting up and trying to be confident.

He stared at her for a few seconds. "You never cry for this kind of thing. And your soul's shivering. Souls don't do that for some sad movie." Kid waited, but Maka didn't say anything. He sighed. "Look."

Maka glanced up, only to see a small box in his outstretched hand. She looked into his eyes for explanation, but his own were turned away. A light blush dusted his cheeks.

"W... What is this?" Even to Maka, her voice sounded hoarse. How could someone know about today? How unrealistic was this situation? And just _how_ had he gotten into her apartment?

"It's a... um... present. I was talking with my Father, and Spirit was there. He was upset that he hadn't seen you all day. I asked about it... and he told me it was your birthday. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Maka swallowed thickly, holding the small gift in her hands. "I didn't want anyone to know."

Kid seemed to take the hint. Well, part of it. The shinigami sat down next to her on the couch, entirely too close for the amount of space in the room. "Open it."

Maka didn't feel like declining his would be the first time someone other than her dad had so much as said happy birthday. The sad movie and equally depressing thoughts cast themselves out the window and were replaced with Death the Kid. It was almost a happy feeling to be sitting with him alone. Maka had only considered Kid to be that one weird friend you kind of knew, but always seemed to isolate himself.

Obviously, he didn't want that.

The female meister pulled the little string, and the closer she got to revealing what was inside, the more fidgety Kid got. And, apparently, the more nervous a shinigami got, the chattier he was. At least, that was what she'd deduced from his motions.

"...So, Spirit told me only a couple of hours ago, maybe around seven, and I had to get something. I'm sorry if it's not very good, I mean, I didn't have very much time. Like I said, if you'd have told me sooner, I would've been able to get something better. Then I could've made your birthday special instead of just showing up at nine without a well-thought out gift. Ugh, this isn't going the way I thought it would..." Both his hands came up to press against the bridge of his nose.

Maka had only continued to open the gift. Inside, something unexpected lay within it. Well, that's what Maka would've liked to have said. It was just a simple bracelet with a locket. She stared at it for a while, before opening it. Nothing.

"Use your soul perception." said Kid nervously. Confused as to why she'd do something like that, she followed his directions. Once she did so, she gasped.

Okay, so it wasn't just a simple bracelet. Somehow, Kid had attached a piece of his soul into the locket. Maka hadn't even known it was possible to do something like that! It must've been excruciatingly painful.

"How did you...? Why?" Maka was unsure of the intentions behind this, but if he was trying to make her happy, it'd worked. Kid was still fidgeting.

"It took a long time, and I still feel a little weird. I had to do tons of research to make sure I severed my soul correctly... but it was the only thing I could think of giving to you." he grimaced slightly at the reminder of the pain he must've gone through.

"Why would you go to so much trouble...?" she was speechless. Never before had someone gone so far for something that seemed almost meaningless now. It seemed... dangerous.

"I just... um... I... I really like you. I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. That's why I gave you a part of me. I-I'm sorry if that's weird. It seemed right..." He blushed deeply, and stopped before he embarrassed himself further.

"No... It's great... Thank you," Maka smiled, hugging her friend tightly.

"Happy birthday, Maka."

Later, once they'd been dating for a while, they spent Christmas together. Maka had been preparing for the big day for a long time; especially the present. It was going to be just as great as that perfect birthday gift he'd given to her.

She gave him a piece of her soul within a skull ring.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: My birthday was March 27th, so I decided to write myself a late special. :P And, I also decided to give you guys that have stuck with me thus far some closure on the Christmas Special. Yes, this connects to that. Also, that movie doesn't actually exist. If you're curious about the story's stats, it's hit up to 34,000! Thanks, guys! Things (and my writing schedule) will be looking up in about 8 weeks, as school wil be ending. Less stress, more time. Regardless, please forgive me for late updates for the time being.)**


	44. Wanted

_Wanted  
_

A million dollars.

That's how high it was bounty over Maka's head had only increased the longer she eluded capture. Now, she was probably the most wanted criminal all over the country-so long as there were meisters and weapons there. No one knew the truth. All her old friends hunted her down without rest, but how could they not? There was too much proof. Too many lies.

Maka couldn't just turn herself in. She had to get vengeance and prove her innocence. Shinigami-sama had been murdered, and she'd been framed in a web of trickery and deceit by none other than that damn witch, Arachne.

She was crafty and clever, that spider. She'd pulled the strings of the entire operation. It was stupid. How the hell could anyone (especially Maka) kill Shinigami-sama single-handedly? Arachne had used some sort of shinigami poison. The witch must have known of Maka's relationship with Kid, and used it to her advantage. Apparently because of their closeness Maka would somehow learn of this poison and use it against his father to sate some evil grudge.

Maka could hardly go an hour without coming into contact with someone out to get her. She couldn't sleep. There was no safe place; Stein must have been directing all the meisters with his soul perception. Maka didn't know Soul Protect, and even if she did, she wouldn't stoop that low. That would confirm the fact that she was guilty. At least, in her mind.

Anyway, it'd been a solid twelve hours since Arachne had killed Shinigami-sama. Maka was exhausted from all the battles, and the fact it was against people she cared for made it worse. Luckily, Kid hadn't shown up. She wouldn't have been able to fight against him.

_Kid... I'm sorry._

She wondered if he was okay, and what he was thinking of. Did he blame Maka for his father's death? Did he hate her now? Why wasn't he chasing her down like a banshee? Too many questions... Too many lies. Maka didn't know what to believe.

Maka hid in an alleyway close to Deaath City's entrance. She couldn't stay any longer if she wanted to live. Besides, Arachne wasn't here anymore. Maka didn't know where, but she was out there, beyond the desert.

It would be a treacherous journey. All she had was the clothes on her back-no water, no food, no weapon... The list went on and on. She didn't even have her pride. But she was brave, and that would never change. To her, the desert was but one obstacle in her way. So, hurting on the inside and out, she dashed out into the open, directly at her home town's entrance...

...Only to be met with a gun point-blank at her stomach. She blacked out from the pain of the blast.

* * *

"Wake up, Maka. We don't have time to waste." Maka opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. She still felt raw and exhausted, but seeing him made her feel better. Kid didn't look angry at all, just relieved and a little sad. Behind him, the sky had darkened since she'd last seen it. "Oh, good, you're awake..."

Maka pushed herself up, grimacing at the sharp pain in her gut. The Thompson sisters were nowhere to be found, despite being the reason behind why her middle felt like lead. They weren't that far off from where Maka had passed out; she could still see the entrance to Death City.

"I don't blame you. It was Arachne, wasn't it?" His eyes were intense, sharper than usual. "I've been seeing spiders for the past week. In my dreams, around the city..."

Maka swallowed. "Yes. It's always been her. I thought she was dead, but she's been here this whole time. Plotting. Wanting to get back at Shinigami-sama and the DWMA. I can't believe I didn't see this coming-I'm so sorry, Kid. I didn't want this to happen, I swear!"

His expression softened slightly. "I already told you: I don't blame you. Maka, Arachne's fooled everyone. We've got to stop her before someone else gets hurt." he said, avoiding the mention of his father.

"...We?"

"Well... Yeah. This isn't just your burden. My father's gone because of her. And... I don't want to lose you, too." He held her hand gently.

"What about Liz and Patty?" Maka questioned. She was fine with going after the stupid witch herself, but she didn't want to put Kid in danger. Maybe that was how he felt, too.

"They know the truth as well." he said simply.

"But, Kid, now that Shinigami-sama is gone, and your Sanzu lines are complete, what will happen to Death City? What if we're gone for a long time?" Kid sighed in exasperation.

"Maka! I'm not staying, no matter what. Death City will be fine without me. I haven't bound my soul to it like my father did. The only reason no one from the DWMA has found us yet is because of my soul blocking yours from sight. Shinigami thing, see?"

He was determined, but so was she. "If they see you with me then you won't be able to go back! I'm already on the wanted list-higher than the Kishin ever was! If things go wrong and Arachne isn't brought to justice, I don't want you to suffer from it, too." Kid squeezed her hand tightly.

"Father once let the love of his life go on a mission without him. My mother didn't return. I refuse to let that happen to you." the shinigami vowed. He kissed both her cheeks to emphasize that point. Maka didn't say anything. She couldn't very well reject that.

The shinigami sighed, before kissing her. "I love you. Nothing's gonna change that. I've thought this through-these past twelve hours, all I did was stare blankly at the wall. Really. My father... would have wanted me to pursue this. Us. He lived long and died doing what he loved most. And if I'm to die soon, I want to do it with who I love most." he didn't need to finish that thought for Maka to understand. She leaned forward and kissed him again, though the discomfort in her stomach made the experience less than pleasurable.

"...Okay. I trust you, Kid. With everything." The meaning of this was not lost on Kid; he was very much aware of Maka's trust issues with her father and everyone else.

Then, they were on the move. Kid's soul, apparently inflated after Shinigami-sama's death, was able to hide Maka's easily. However, soon enough their pursuers would catch on that Kid was hiding her. Even worse, they were weaponless and on their way to fight a witch that'd just killed the strongest entity the world has ever seen.

Just another average day in the life of Maka Albarn and Death the Kid.

She let her arms wrap loosely around his torso as Kid directed Beelzebub-the fastest form of transportation there was. Maka preferred to hold him instead of him holding her, though that was largely due to habit. Usually, Death the Kid (if he could still be considered that) would have his twin guns, and would need both arms free in order to fight in case the need ever arose.

She dared not tighten her grasp on him, for fear of losing what she'd worked so hard to gain. The life she'd built up over the years, the friends she'd held dear... All gone. Maka feared that if she were to show too much of her love, too much emotion, that the things she cared for would be taken from her. The Kishin, Arachne, Medusa... Whatever their names were, their purpose was always the same.

They would ride until dawn.


	45. Beast

_Beast (AU)  
_

You've never experienced fear unless you've stared into the eyes of a beast. For all of humanity's existence, wolves were the definition of a beast, of _fear_. Maka had never been more afraid than the day she'd stumbled upon an injured wolf.

The thing about an injured animal is that they will do whatever it takes to survive, and will take on anything they think will endanger them. This beast was no different. The lone wolf snarled at once, its eyes flashing dangerously. Despite the blood dripping from its muzzle and side, he managed to stand up. Maka was frozen in place, too afraid to do much more than breathe. She swallowed and attempted to take a step back, but that only served to anger the wolf more. Its bright yellow eyes bored holes into her, and its jet black fur blended into the environment-all but the white skull-shaped tuft on his forehead. It too was stained with blood.

Maka spoke quietly, "D-don't come any closer. I don't want to hurt you." She watched as the wolf remained tense, his tail sticking straight out in a sign of aggression. Then, he suddenly stopped. His ears perked and he turned his head in a different direction, apparently losing interest in her. Maka wasn't sure if he'd just dismissed her, or if he was aware of a new presence. She wasn't even sure if she could get her legs to move.

She heard a yelp and directed her eyes back to the wolf. Except now there were two. A completely white one had tackled the beast Maka had initially found, and had its foreleg in its mouth. Maka still couldn't get herself to run. The black wolf was able to rip its leg out of the other's jaw, and bit at his ear. They continued to fight and roll around until the white one jumped back. His ruby red eyes were cast on Maka, who trembled from the powerful gaze.

"Human!" it snarled at her before rounding on the other animal, "How could you bring one of _their_ kind onto our homeland? Traitor!"

The first beast snarled back. "I did nothing of the sort! I do not know how the human has stumbled upon our homeland!" They were at it again, more blood spilling. The fact that they could speak made Maka even more confused.

"You say you have nothing to do with the human?!" The white wolf stalked toward Maka. "Then why not feast on the human? Prove your loyalty to our clan!" The girl's panicked eyes met with the other wolf's. Just as the pale beast was getting nearer, his counterpart pushed himself between the predator and prey.

"What has the human done to you? Back off!" It jabbed a paw into the other's chest. White Wolf growled, and his hair stood up.

"You have grown fond of the human! Have you forgotten our Code so soon? 'No wolf is to assossiate with anything but its kin!' " He bared his teeth. "Your Father would be disappointed. Oh, wait, he fell in love with a human too, giving you that disgusting coat! How disgraceful."

"SHUT UP!" The darker animal lunged at his kin's neck, but the other dodged. The white wolf sneered.

"You prefer humans to wolves? Fine! You will be banished, and I will rule! You will never lay a paw on the sacred grounds of Paradise again!" They glared at each other before the pale beast turned on his heel and took off into the forest.

"Damn it!" he growled to himself. The black wolf turned on Maka, stepping right into her personal space. "You! What were you doing here?"

Maka flinched at being addressed. Finally, her knees were too weak to support her weight, and she collapsed. The wolf took this as a submissive move, as he appeared to puff his chest out in an act of clear dominance. Still, his yellow eyes penetrated her faded green ones. "Well?" he snapped.

"You can... talk?" she said almost pitifully. The blood dripping from his forehead became louder as if taunting her for such a stupid question. Black Wolf didn't even answer. He averted his gaze and made a sound that Maka assossiated with a wolfish sigh.

Without warning, Black Wolf darted toward Maka and latched onto the collar of her shirt with his powerful jaws. Then, he took off to who knows where.

Maka was sure she would suffocate. Though the pressure was there, the end never came. It hurt tons to be dragged around like a rag doll, but she knew she was lucky she was still alive. The girl couldn't complain even if she wanted to, the way he was thrashing about.

After what seemed like an eternity of torture, he dropped her. Maka blinked her eyes open blearily, spots dancing in her vision, though there was nothing to look at. She came to the conclusion that she was in a cave, for the only light came from the ominous eyes of her savior. He said nothing, but she could hear his panting from the exertion of the run as well as his encounters with White Wolf.

"...They'll be after the both of us." he began simply, "You were not meant to trespass on these lands, though I am no longer welcome here either. The least you could do is dress my wounds for the loss you have caused me!" The wolf seemed riled up by this comment, but he soon calmed down. "Before I do anything more for you, I must know why it is you trespassed on this territory. I saved you because you had not wronged me, but if you planned to wrong my clan-"He interrupted himself with a growl.

At once Maka was shaking her head. "No! I was just taking a walk in the woods by my house when I came across you! Honest!" She found herself staring defiantly at the animal with a fire in her heart-he wasn't so scary after all.

Then, she watched the floating yellow orbs come nearer. Suddenly, she heard a whisper:

"I trust you."

_There's always been something different about me. You know, between me and the other wolves. We were chosen as the sacred guardians of Paradise-the last place fully devoid of humanity's poison-and we listened to what our Father told us. He guided us in our mission to protect our home, except he truly was my father. There was only one human to trespass on these sacred lands before you, and she soon became my father's mate. _

_We were always taught from birth to hate humans, to feast on humans, to never allow them access to Paradise. After it was clear they had fallen in love, respect was lost for my father. But he was still our clan's Father, leader of us all, so all must follow under his lordship. I was born from that, half wolf, half human. The other wolves always said I would have a soft spot for humans because of my mother's prosecution months later. Never truly accepted in my clan, for my eyes were that of my mother's, I pondered my existence, as well as humanity's. _

_That day, the day you wandered upon my realm, was the day I'd decided. Hours before you'd found me, I'd betrayed my clan's purpose. I was no longer a pup, and no longer did I wish to follow blindly and kill innocent lives, whether they were of my kin or humans. But I feared for my life: if I were to voice out my betrayal, I would be executed by my Father, because he must follow the ancient code as well. _

_But you... you were the most elegant looking human I'd ever seen. Seeing you there, stricken with just as much fear as I was, I knew I had to make a decision. My instincts had told me I needed to be there, but it was forbidden for an unauthorized wolf to stalk the perimeter where they may wreak havoc. It was not my turn to guard Paradise's outer walls, so I had to sneak past, for I knew this was important. But... My brother, loyal to the clan, followed me. He was blinded by the mission he sought to complete, and would see no reason. I lament his ignorance, but I am also glad I was not trailed by my stronger brothers._

Maka soothed the fresh wound on the wolf's shoulder. He was still and tense beneath her hand, but at the same time he was warm and attentive. As time went on, his muscles relaxed, but his eyes never strayed from her face. He seemed to enjoy the feel of her fingers in his coat, even leaning into the touch.

He certainly was no house dog. In fact, he was about double the size of a German Shepherd. But still, he had to restrain his tail from wagging when she pressed that spot just behind his ears, and had to double his efforts when both of her hands came into play. This is /wrong/, his wolf self exclaimed, you are not man's best friend! For once in his life, he didn't care. Perhaps this was how his father had felt when he'd met the other human long ago. This one certainly was unlike any he'd ever seen, definitely a diamond in the rough.

He was so drunken in his glee to finally be rid of all his worries, to be pleasured so contentedly by this human, that he pressed his muzzle into her neck. To wolves, that was either a move that shouted, "_I'm gonna rip your throat out!_" or "_I really like you._" The only difference was one had teeth. To Maka, the nuzzle merely meant he was enjoying himself. She continued to mess with his coat the way she would had she owned a dog, and it seemed to do him wonders. If wolves could smile, he was doing it.

It didn't take long until the cave was full of mirth and the mixture of laughter and ecstatic panting. They'd befriended each other in the matter of a few hours, which was no easy task considering they were natural-born enemies. The night was cold, but he kept her warm with his fuzzy coat.

_I was not sure why I acted that way back then. It was strange to be with you back then. Those were the days I found something to truly be loyal to: you. I apologize for the way I had acted, for the way I grabbed you so roughly-but I was not aware. You've shown me there was more to life than the cycle of living and dying, with killing in between. I just wanted to say here, with my last breath: I truly enjoyed our time together, but it has drawn to a close. It was limited from the start, and I regret being unable to save you from your fate... but fate is cruel in that way. Perhaps a love tainted by a generation's mistakes can never survive. I wish it weren't true. _

_I wish it weren't true..._

* * *

**(Author's Notes: Eh... If I haven't crossed the line yet, this one certainly will. A wolf and a human, not in character in the least... I hope some of you enjoyed it, though I find myself slightly embarassed by it. Do you guys think this one-shot is weird? If so, I will refrain from this type... Though I will say this: initially, I'd intended for the wolves to actually be werewolves, meaning they could be humans, but I strayed away from that as I continued writing. Gotta have some variety in a pack of 100 one-shots! Have a good day and thanks for reading!)**


	46. Road Trip

_Road Trip_

If you've never been on a road trip before, you don't know the struggle... the struggle to find something to do to keep you from getting bored. Because once you do realize you're running out of things to keep your mind occupied, that's when you realize you can't go anywhere to remedy your mind-set. It's pretty much a time-bomb set for insanity, in which only the patient can survive.

Now, add _Black*Star_ to that mix.

I've always been able to get away from any situation with a good book, but in an enclosed space for several hours with him? Even I'm not that good.

We rented out this van with seven seats, since everyone wanted to go see our favorite band for the first time in concert. Well, my favorite band. I'm pretty sure some of the others came for different reasons, though I can't see what other motive there could be.

So, since it was Soul's idea to even go, he was driving. To his right in the shotgun seat sat Black*Star—who absolutely _would not_ move from that spot, saying he was too "godly" to be anywhere else. Both Liz and Patty sat in the two seats in the middle—dubbed captain chairs. It was oddly fitting for the two twins to be in the middle of the van. That left me, Tsubaki, and Death the Kid in the backseat.

Not necessarily in that order.

In the back row, Tsubaki was seated on the left, Kid on the right, and I was in the middle. I still don't understand how I ended up in the most-hated seat of all, but I knew better than to voice my discomfort. Soul would probably just say something like I was the smallest—though whether or not he would be referring to height was questionable.

"So, like I was saying, I jumped over that dude and was like, 'It's over!' and then he just stood there in awe of my skills as I slashed him through with Tsubaki! It was probably the best thing none of you have ever seen, no doubt!"

"It _was_ pretty cool," conceded Tsubaki, who was staring out the window. Black*Star's grin widened at the compliment, but I just tried to ignore the bone-head and continue reading my favorite novel.

But I wasn't exactly paying attention to what was happening in the book. My eyes were going over the words, but my mind was somewhere else entirely—mostly on the boy next to me.

_Wow, he's got nice posture… I wonder what he's thinking about. Certainly not about me—probably about some boy thing, like video games or food. Ugh, boys are so stupid._

My thoughts trailed off until I was only frowning at the pages, but one thing remained the same—Black*Star was starting to get annoying.

Luckily, though, I didn't even have to do anything about it. Patty had, in one of her random spurts of violence, punched him in the face and told him to "shut up." Now, the assassin was passed out and leaning against the window, a bloody nose making itself known.

I didn't particularly care for this development, other than my mental thanks to Patty. Liz was just as asleep as Black*Star was, except you could hear her snore.

Weird.

"We still have three hours, guys. Try to get some sleep before I make one of you drive." Soul commented gruffly. He was probably irked that Liz hadn't said a word to him, and most likely wouldn't at all.

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep in the most uncomfortable seat in the world—this van really sucks—so I just continued to stare down at my book, only registering a few select words like "he…then…her…weapon…love…"

However, time went pretty fast and I could tell when Tsubaki had nodded off… because she was leaning on my shoulder.

That didn't bother me very much, though. She was my best friend, after all. So, I just let her sleep.

I wondered what Kid was doing, and glanced over to see. His eyes were trained on something outside the window, but it must not have been an object since his gaze remained unmoving. I figured he was thinking about something, and looked away before I could get caught.

He was just too cute for his own good—what with the hairs that stuck out at the back of his head. He probably had symmetry fits about that every once in a while, but I wouldn't put it past him to measure them each morning.

I wondered what reasoning he had to go to this concert. I'd never seen him listen to any music, wear any band t-shirts (all he wears is that classy suit—though that isn't necessarily a bad thing), or even mention any songs. Heck, he was probably into classical music or not into anything at all. He just seemed too busy to be bothered by things like that.

Somehow, my mind wandered off into taboo areas again. _Has he ever dated anyone before? Soul always told me he didn't talk about romance at all, so there's no way to tell… Do shinigami even like humans? Did Shinigami-sama marry? Huh…_

"…What're you reading?"

I snapped to attention at that, my eyes darting toward whoever had spoken. _Him_. "U-uh…" I then realized I had no idea what I was reading or what it was about or even my name. Luckily, I remembered a useful tactic for whenever someone asked what I was reading: I held up the book's cover toward him.

At first Kid just stared at the book, then up at me with an adorably confused look. Initially I didn't think about why he was puzzled, and was at the mercy of his beautiful eyes.

Then, I recalled my book had lost its cover years ago, and was currently just a solid, dark blue. A blush assaulted my features at this new discovery—I hated getting embarrassed, and being this close to someone so amazing could do that to a person.

"I'm pretty sure the book's title isn't there," he joked, "but I can understand why it's missing. Book covers are rarely symmetrical."

I almost laughed until I figured out he was making fun of me. This time, I opened up the book's cover, made sure the title was on the first page, and showed it to him. Finally, his face smoothed out and he smiled. I was sure there had never been a more perfect person on this planet.

"I've read this before. What part are you at?" This time, I had my bearings about me.

Sort of.

Well, I realized he was asking me a question I clearly had no answer for.

So, I looked back down at the book… but when I'd shown him the title, I'd lost the page where I was reading. Meaning, I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the book.

"Uh, well… You know, the part where they do the thing?" I tried. I heard Soul snickering into his hand, and aimed a glare at the back of his head. I was glad nobody else was awake (besides Patty, but I knew she didn't care) to hear me sound so silly. At least my partner already knew I had a crush on Kid.

"Uh… Not really. Are you talking about the part when the main characters overcome the Darkness?"

I doubted it, but was glad to have a way out of what could've been potentially threatening to my ego. I nodded in response to him. I didn't trust my tongue any more than I trusted my heart.

"That's my favorite part!" Kid leaned back in his seat with a grin. "Along with the ending. I mean, who would've thought?"

"Yeah, I agree." I replied—which was true, though I was sure I'd still agree with him even if it wasn't.

His eyes drifted down just a little, before gliding back into my gaze. He smiled slightly. "You ever… think about what it'd be like? To love someone for so long and so purely?"

Woah.

Did he just…?

He was asking me about love! Was that a signal? What did that mean? Soul noticeably slowed down the car—that eavesdropper! But I wasn't necessarily bothered by that; Kid had just asked ME about romance! Nothing else mattered in this moment.

"Yes, I have thought about it. Who wouldn't?" I decided to play it safe. I didn't want to give too much away, but at the same time, leave room for him to say something. I _was_ the smartest kid in our class—though that was questionable considering Kid always freaked out during the tests. For all I knew, he could score higher than me—but my pride was much too high to admit that out loud.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." he said simply, almost disinterestedly. His eyes shifted out the window, as he was doing earlier.

_Did I do something wrong? Did I say something? Ugh, way to go, idiot!_

I couldn't believe I'd messed it up—whatever short-lived romance that was. I wasn't even sure if he had been hitting on me or just genuinely interested in the book. I heard Soul sigh, but I knew one thing was certain:

This was going to be a long drive.

* * *

**(Author's Notes: So I was in the car for around eight hours yesterday, and three hours today. That's what spawned this one-shot-if I had to suffer, the Soul Eater cast had to as well. :P Anyway, this is more of a comedic-romance look into Maka's point of view, and some silly references to another KiMa story of mine. I hope I got a chuckle out of some of you, and that you know the pain of a long car ride... hopefully not with Black*Star though. See you all next time! :)**


End file.
